2020 Evans & Tate Redbrook Estate Chardonnay

• Producer: Evans & Tate
• Varietal: Chardonnay
• Region: Margaret River
• Alcohol: 13.0%
• Net volume: 750ml
• Vintage: 2020

Vibrant and fresh. Layered, complex aromas of stonefruit, pear and citrus with seductive fresh toast, dried herbs and malt. A style of Chardonnay unique to Margaret River and Evans & Tate – very complex with tremendous fruit flavour, whilst retaining freshness and bright acidity. Dry malt, fresh toast and struck match complexity from wild barrel fermentation on solids with ripe pear and peach. A touch of zesty lemon butter on the palate from the partial MLF and extended time maturing on yeast lees.

Handpicked fruit was cooled overnight to 8C before the cold whole bunches were tipped into our small airbag press. The juice is squeezed out by the airbag inflating to low pressures – this is the gentlest way to extract the juice and is a prerequisite to making world-class Chardonnay wines.

The juice was allowed a limited amount of controlled oxidation, with the turbid juice then going straight into barrel – 100% French oak, with half being in puncheon format (500L) and the other half barrique (228L). Of this, 50% was new and the balance 1- and 2-year-old.

All barrels underwent wild fermentation on solids. Fermentation was completed to dryness before a small amount of SO2 was added, and the wine was then chilled, and barrels topped and bunged. Two barrels (that represented 17% of the final blend) were allowed to go through MLF to impart texture and complexity and to ensure balance and harmony in the end wine. Battonage was undertaken on each new barrel every 4 weeks and on the 1-year barrels every 8 weeks. Barrel maturation was conducted at 15C for 11 months, followed by a further 10 months on yeast lees in tank before a further 12 month maturation in bottle.

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