Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2021

Bitte noch nicht trinken ;-)

Winzerin Virginia Wilcock macht diesen Chardonnay mit dem Blick auf ein langes Leben und behält ihn extra noch ein wenig länger bei sich im Weingut, bis er aus dieser ersten verlockenden Primärfruchtphase heraus ist, in der er sich auch jung schon zu gut trinken lässt - um zu verhindern, dass er zu früh und unterkomplex genossen wird.

Der Wein braucht einfach ein paar Jahre, um seine ganze Größe zu offenbaren. Momentan dominieren die mineralisch-steinigen Aspekte und die Frucht ist im Zitronenspektrum angesiedelt, ein wenig helles Kernobst dabei. All dies jedoch ist nur Zugeknöpftheit.

Ab ca. 2028 wird der Wein reif sein (übrigens, bitte immer karaffieren) - alles wird cremig, weich, reifer, die Frucht gewinnt an Honig und gelber Frucht, das Barrique geht von zimtigen Tanninen zur Vanille über, wird aber immer strukturgebend bleiben, dabei bewahrt der Wein volle Spannung und begeistert mit rauchigen, mandeligen, aber auch tropischen Noten und einem langen Finish. Bei aller zunehmenden Opulenz behält er immer eine kühle Ader und fordert unbedingt das dünnwandigste Burgunderglas (mein Favorit ist die große Josephine), das Sie besitzen. Dann wird er sich öffnen und zeigt sich Ihnen als einer der wirklich modernen und allerbesten Weine des australischen Kontinentes, der sich vor Burgund wahrlich nicht zu verstecken braucht.

The Heytesbury Chardonnay remains one of my favorite Chardonnays to buy in Australia, and it was a hugely significant wine in the stylistic evolution of Australian Chardonnay. Its success in the Australian show circuit in 2010 (and Willcock's success in being awarded "Winemaker of the Year," among other accolades at the time) has cemented it as a desirable style (full solids, wild ferment), and today, most premium Australian Chardonnays are made in this manner. My opinion is that the wine is released too early, and as a result, many people do not get to experience the joy of an older (and seemingly ageless) Heytesbury Chardonnay. An impressive tasting each year. —Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate, July 6 2023

Flaschengröße (Liter): 0,75

Land: Australien

Weingut: Vasse Felix

Region: Australien, Western Australia, Margaret River

Anbau: Biologisch, aber das Weingut ist nicht bio-zertifiziert.

Rebsorten: 100% Chardonnay

Source: Estate Grown Vasse Felix, Margaret River
Barrique: Französische Eichenbarriques, 56% neu, 44% 1-3 Jahre alt (inklusive 6% 1 Jahr alte Fässer von Mercurey) 15 Monate Reife, davon 9 Monate im Holz und, 6 Monate als fertiger Blend im Tank.

Weinart: Weißwein

Verschluss: Screwcap

Alkohol % vol.: 13

Säure g/l: 6,8

Restzucker g/l: 1,01

pH: 3,14

Schwefel mg/l frei(total): 25(131)

Optimales Trinkfenster: ab 2028

Allergene: Enthält Sulfite

Abfüller: Vasse Felix, Cnr Tom Cullity Drive and Caves Road, Cowaramup, Western Australia 6284, Australia

Importeur und Verantwortlicher Lebensmittelunternehmer: Apell Weine, Martin Apell, Ahnatalstrasse 125, 34128 Kassel, Deutschland
Winemaker´s Comment:

Our most unique small vineyard sections where the Gingin clone on specific aspect and soil interplay in such a way to ignite very special varietal and wild yeast influence. A slightly later harvest held back by late January rain reached a subtle and precisely balanced structure of alcohol and acid line with the most delicate of flavors held tightly, resulting in beautiful restraint and balance. Natural MLF was allowed to complete. Hand-harvested, whole-bunches were pressed and transferred direct to barrel as unclarified juice. Only natural yeasts from the vineyard fermented the wine and was nurtured in our cellar for 15 months, 9 of which were in oak with some lees stirring. 100% Gingin clone and true to Heytesbury perfume and structure. A savory, delicate and beautifully structured, complex wine in a cooler, slightly later harvest year.
Vintage Notes:
A year of peculiar weather where our commitment to organic viticulture was vital to the successful growth of quality, balanced fruit. A cool and wet spring prompted the need for an intense leaf plucking program to mitigate disease risk.

Luckily, December and January were warm and dry. Canopy management was a priority throughout February and March to combat unusually warm and moist conditions. A rainfall event in early February provided a timely drink for the red varietals, followed by warm weather which was ideal for the Chardonnay to achieve ripeness. A second rainfall incident in early March was followed by sunny and breezy conditions to dry off the fruit for healthy ripening. With our judicious canopy management and a crop of naturally resilient grapes, we are pleased to say that fantastic quality fruit was ripened and harvested with little-to-no disease in our vineyards.
Winemaker´s favourite Recipe:

Pork, chicken, turkey, rabbit, crayfish, crab, scallops, oysters and scallops, cheese. With cellaring; mushroom and truffle and it can work well with vanilla, milk and cream based-desserts if with balanced sweetness.

Bewertungen (Auszüge):

We are thrilled to share the 2021 Heytesbury Chardonnay was included in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of the World 2022, scoring 98 points with the full review below.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Australia landed six wines in the top 100, led by Margaret River with James remarking of the region, "It’s a unique maritime region making fresh and structured reds and bright and flavorful whites."

James Suckling : 98/100

A dense and structured white with aromas of white peach, honeysuckle, lemon tree and a hint of lime. A full-bodied wine with a beautiful mid-palate and an intense, lively finish. A wild and energetic wine. Wonderful depth and focus. To drink or to keep. Can age beautifully. Think what it will become. Screw cap. - James Suckling -28 December 2022

Jancis Robinson: 17++/20

Hand harvested. Pressed in whole bunches. Spontaneous fermentation in barrels with a very high solids content. Average of 553 NTU. Aged 9 months in French oak, of which 56% new. Six months in tank after blending. TA 6.8 g/l, pH 3.14. Bottled in June 2022, it won't be released until October 2022. Winemaker Virginia Willcock is still concerned about the fruity taste of wine (what she calls "devastating fruit") for the first 6-12 months after bottling, before it begins to show its more flavorful, smoky/mineral qualities. She would like to keep the wine longer before releasing it, but it is always out of stock for about six months of the year. This vintage should be marketed in the first months of 2023.
Beautifully and discreetly oak-spiced with - so far - very little sulfur character, although it does show a bit more with air. The stone dust mineral character is marked, even with all that youthful fruit. Extremely tight, not skinny, but textured, with a chalky feel. Crisp, dry, the citrus is a little bittersweet on the finish for now, but it's already showing that lovely creamy texture, plain and simple. As it warms and opens up in the glass, and after older vintages in the range, the fruit is really intense, more tropical, but still marked by lime. It would be a shame to drink it too young (JH). – September 14, 2022. Maturity: 2024 - 2033

The Wine Front: 95/100

I don't know if it's a strange thing to say, but I've always thought that VF Heytesbury was the benchmark for 'modern Australian Chardonnay', and perhaps even surpassed the character of Margaret River. There's a lot of tension here, a struck match, cinnamon-spiced oak, lime and pear, cashew and almond. The acidity is crisp and tangy, grapefruit and spice, a salty and seaweed character, a smooth caramel richness, a chalk-dust texture and a creamy but crisp finish with great cleanliness and flavor. nice length. It is very dry, fresh, but very good. - Gary Walsh - February 2022. Maturity: 2024-2031+

Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin: 96+

The 2021 Heytesbury Chardonnay is as Heytesbury usually is—complex, firmly textured, coastal and briny, with layers of flesh and spice folded in on the palate. The wine ages tremendously, and the release cycle really does it no favors, as the wine seems to come into its own several years after release. It really is a shame about commercial reality! You get salted white peach, brine, saltbush, green apple skins, tea leaves, graphite/pencil box, tobacco leaf and cilantro. It's a sensational wine, and it will be even better in time. It was fermented wild, matured for nine months in French oak barriques (56% new, the balance one to three years old) and settled for six months in tank thereafter. Super wine. Piercing. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.