History

Unoaked (or unwooded) Chardonnay from Elderton has always been made to capture the essence of the great Australian lifestyle. We have many great memories of fantastic pool parties, long lazy afternoons sitting outside Cafes and playing beach cricket at the seaside. This wine is designed to compliment all of these situations. This is the first release of the Unoaked Chardonnay under the new E Series label, which is designed to offer a contemporary, stylish, yet uncomplicated approach to this variety. Aside from Elderton, the ‘E’ represents many of the key elements integrated into this wine and around the E Series - Enjoyment, Elegance, Economy, Evolution & Environmental sustainability, all of which we strongly believe in here at Elderton.

Winemaking

The fruit is crushed and chilled below 10 degrees before draining the free run juice off the skins. This juice is then settled for 2-3 days to allow small particles of skins to fall to the bottom of the tank. The clear juice is then racked off and fermentation is completed in temperature controlled stainless steel. Without the presence of oak, the true and pure characteristics of Chardonnay are left to shine, and so we bottle the wine soon after fermentation to ensure that the clean, primary fruit flavours are retained.

Viticulture

The Chardonnay vines are carefully pruned over the winter season to ensure low yields and quality fruit. Supplementary irrigation and strict canopy management through the summer season enable the fruit to reach a baumé of about 13°, offering clean, crisp and ripe flavours in the fruit. It is then machine harvested in the coolest hours of the night and delivered to the winery as quickly as possible (to ensure there is no spoilage), to assist in retaining the fresh fruit characters displayed in this wine.

Awards

•  Winestate March/April 2009 - THREE STARS
•  Good Living, Huon Hooke – Bargain of the Week - 85/100
•  Winestate Magazine March/April 2008 - THREE STARS
•  Winestate Magazine Special Edition 2007 - THREE STARS

Reviews

•  Josh Raynolds - Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar Sept/October Issue - Light, bright yellow. Fresh melon and peach on the nose, with a subtle note of spun sugar gaining strength with air. Gently sweet cantaloupe and pit fruit flavors are enlivened by a tangy orange peel note and provide good palate coverage. A touch soft on the finish; I'd serve this with a good chill. 87 POINTS