Single Vineyard Faultline Chardonnay 2009
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Kooyong is located on the Mornington Peninsula at Tuerong and focuses on producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wine; which are both suited to the Peninsula’s cool maritime climate. Kooyong is a ‘domain’ in the true sense of the word and the wines are made from 100% estate grown fruit at its own on-site winery.
Vintage
Rains in the Winter of 2008 were encouraging and although budburst was early, conditions were more typical for Spring and early Summer than for the previous several years. The cool weather did compromise flowering and fruit set however, so the yield potential was low. Concurrent days of extreme heatwave conditions in early February had an understandably severe impact, sunburning fruit on the western sides of the vine rows. However, for the growth stage of the fruit at Kooyong this simply resulted in shrivel and drop of scorched berries, reducing yield further but not compromising quality. The resulting harvest was about 50% less than what is considered appropriate for Kooyong but asides from the week of freakish heat, the 2008 – 2009 growing season was essentially benign, with amenable temperatures and rainfall events occurring at appropriate intervals. The tiny yields produced wines of high natural acidity and unusually intense varietal fruit character.
Viticulture
The 2009 Kooyong Faultline Chardonnay is a single site wine produced from 1.02 hectares of estate vineyard.
Winemaking
The fruit is whole bunch pressed and barrel fermented in French oak (30% new) without yeast inoculation. The sur lie maturation period is 12 months.
Alcohol
12.5% vol
Tasting Note
Bright lemon colour. Aromas of white peach and crunchy nectarine, potter’s clay and a hint of leesy funk. The palate is strident and powerful with some apricot fleshiness, the anchoring Faultline clay minerality and the textbook peach skin phenolic drive. Long and impressive.
Cellaring
Will reward further bottle ageing.
Download Tasting Notes
Single Vineyard Faultline Chardonnay 2009
Reviews
GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE, February/March 2012
This medium-yellow, fruit-driven chardonnay has a butter and ripe-peach aroma and is grapy and fruit-sweet in the mouth, revealing very gentle use of oak. It’s fresh and light on its feet, and has balance, style and length. 92 points, 4 stars
HUON HOOKE
DECANTER.COM, January 2012
Lovely complex nose of minerals, toast, stone fruit, lees and tropical fruit salad. Precise palate with focused stone and apple fruit, persistence and length. Mouthwatering and vibrant with excellent finesse. 17.33 points/20
DECANTER TASTING PANEL
THE AGE GOOD WINE GUIDE 2012
Sandro Mosele has moved from diam cork to screwcap for his white wines, and this is the one that has benefitted most: there’s a bright and concentrated chardonnay nose, with impressive complex almond, hazelnut, grapefruit, lime zest, white peach and alluring hints of flint and spice. The palate’s concentrated and dynamic, all moving in composed, linear shape, with fresh, elemental fruit flavours and a long, sleek texture. Brilliant. 96 points.
NICK STOCK
THE AUSTRALIAN WINE ANNUAL 2012
Charmingly balanced, stylish and gentle, with a toasty, mealy bouquet of grapefruit and tropical fruits, butterscotch and beeswax. Carried along by an unctuous, fleshy viscosity, its gentle and savoury palate seamlessly integrates its reserved presence of grapefruit and melon fruit, toasty, waxy and fainly mealy complexity, finishing long and focused, with a tight, fresh acidity. 95 points
JEREMY OLIVER
WINEFRONT, 11th January 2012
While the single vineyard pinots haven’t been too much to my taste over the last couple of vintages (2009 included), the Chardonnays most definitely are. Too much spiky tomato sauce acidity in the Pinots which make them feel unfriendly and awkward, but the Chardonnay – benchmarkwow stuff. Now sealed with a screwcap too, so more good news.
Lemon zest, spice, savoury yeasty and briny elements, some white nectarine in there too. It’s light to medium bodied, energetic and vivacious, driven by flint and fine acidity – precise and driving – with a pulsating long dry finish. Refreshment, complexity and style all here – what a wine! 96/100
GARY WALSH
WINE BUSINESS MONTHLY, Wine 100, November 2011
Bouquet reveals little in this youthful incarnation, but the palate shows rich textural appeal with minerals, slate, hard-packed butter, and energised stone fruit and citrus power. Impressive. 94/100
MIKE BENNIE
WINSOR’S CHOICE, WINSORDOBBIN.COM.AU,
24th November 2011
There are dozens of great chardonnays out there from the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley right now, but this one stands out from the crowd with its sheer purity of fruit and delicious minerality. If you are looking for a buttery blockbuster, then go elsewhere, but if you enjoy the Chablis style of chardonnay then I reckon this will ring your bell. An individual vineyard wine from chardonnay maestro Sandro Mosele, it is beautifully integrated with grapefruit and stone fruit flavours in perfect harmony with the restrained oak, which merely adds texture. An elegant wine with just 12.5% alcohol that has immense length and is an absolute pleasure to drink
WINSOR DOBBIN
TYSON STELZER.COM, October 2011
More honed and linear than ever, a highwire act of lemons and limes over a linear backbone of taut acidity and fine, chalky, textural structure. Lees-derived complexity and white nectarine and white peach flesh provide weight to the finish. Well crafted and textural – faultless Faultline! Drink 2012-2017. Rating: 95 points
TYSON STELZER
JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION 2012
KOOYONG AND PORT PHILLIP ESTATE
COMBINED WINERIES OF THE YEAR 2012
Identical colour to Farrago; while still quite shy, both the bouquet and palate are more open and prepared to show their wares; white peach and nectarine are at the core of this wine, framed by barrel-ferment oak; a wine that has as much depth as length, or length as depth.
96 Points
JAMES HALLIDAY