Tasting Profile
November 2023
This single-block wine is sourced from just 0.5 ha of 26-year-old Chardonnay vines within the Faultline block. Compared to the Farrago block the soil contains less ironstone and more deep clay, leading to wines containing an earthy depth and a fuller, richer palate. The fruit was gently whole-bunch pressed directly into French oak barriques (20% of which were new), and fermentation occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts. Following fermentation, the wine was aged on lees (without battonage) for 11 months and was racked only once, directly prior to bottling. The wine was bottled without fining and with minimal filtration.
The 2022 Faultline displays fine and pure aromatics of lime citrus, pink grapefruit skin and white florals. These lead to notes of almond meal, flinty reduction and exotic spices. The palate is focused and long with a powerful core of citrus fruit, grapefruit leads the way, followed by lemon pith and lime juice. The mid palate shows a subtle grainy leesy texture and a mascarpone cream sweetness. A linear chiselled line of acidity drives the wine from start to end, leaving a succulent powdery finish. This wine will age tremendously well and will reward with extra layers of complexity with time in the cellar.
13.0%
Tasting Profile 2022
Tasting Profile 2023
Tasting Profile 2021
Reviews
Halliday Australian Wine Companion, August 2024
Jane Faulkner
Poor flowering, low yields, excellent wines. At least that’s something. This is shimmering with lemon, grapefruit, white nectarine plus a light spray of spice, oak and nougat-like lees. The acidity is superfine and pith-like, rendering the palate linear and long. This is a stylish, classy Chardonnay..
96 points
The Wine Front, August 2024
Gary Walsh
Lots of nougat, spice, grapefruit, nectarine, mint and white flowers. It’s bright, but smooth, lime and almond, unctuous in texture and delivers power, intensity and flavour on a finish of excellent pithy grip. An impressive wine.
95 points
Wine Pilot, August 2024
Jeni Port
Year after year, this wine exhibits a particular deep-veined concentration of flavour. Upfront citrus notes, pear, stone fruits, spice and honeysuckle. A textural mouthful, nutty and nougat with more vanillin oak on show against the fruit. Cool climate acidity enhanced by a cool year means there is plenty of life ahead.
96 points
The Real Review, September 2024
Stuart Knox
Light lemon hue. White peach, pineapple, broken quartz and hint of bacon fat aromatics. Palate is detailed, fine and filled with tension. Acidity drives white fruits and salty minerality across the palate. Layered off that there’s smoky bacon and warmed cashews adding character. It’s lively and driven, the finish eventually coming with a bright and cleansing lift.
95 points
The Vintage
The Vineyard
The Kooyong vineyard is located on the Mornington Peninsula at Tuerong, on Miocene sedimentary soils. Our wines are made from domain grown, handpicked grapes and aim to manifest terroir: the integration of our geology and soils with the macroclimate of our region, the mesoclimates of the various sites within our vineyard and the weather of the annual grape growing season. Our cultural operations in the vineyard and practices in the winery endeavour to articulate these unique characteristics diligently, respectfully and without artifice.