2025 Sandalford Cellar Reserve Chardonnay
The stone fruit and subtle toasty oak flavours are beautifully held together with soft, creamy, mineral like acidity that helps define the palate. The wine is well balanced, finishes dry and with wonderful length of flavour. Cellaring for up to 10 years will provide greater complexity and richness for those who like a bottle aged style.
Winemaker comments
Winemaker Notes
Pemberton is a cool climate wine growing region recognised for producing premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This wine was crafted from handpicked fruit sourced off the Lambton vineyard in Pemberton. The fruit was hand-picked, refrigerated and transported to the winery for whole bunch pressing. The juice was immediately transferred to barrel – 50% new oak, balance 1 year old, for fermentation with native yeasts. The wine underwent a spontaneous natural malolactic fermentation during maturation resulting in a softening of the natural acid balance adding a creaminess to the texture. The wine remained in barrel on ferment lees for 9 months prior to assemblage, fining, stabilisation, filtration and bottling. It is a wine that drinks well in its youth, but can be comfortably cellared for up to 10 years.
Meet the maker
By the time I turned 18, I had become fascinated with wine. I was keen to learn as much about wine as I could and I received some great advice: to work in the industry before committing to any tertiary study....
Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Tasting notes
Varietals
Varietal
Chardonnay
Colour
Other Notes
Pale straw gold with tinges of green.
Nose
Production
A fine and delicate style displaying a subtle combination of nectarine, lime citrus and poached pear fruit characters, along with oatmeal, brioche, nougat and roasted cashew nut. Subtle vanillin oak and the smoky wood spice characteristics derived from barrel fermentation support the bright fruit flavours.
Palate
Tasting Note
The stone fruit and subtle toasty oak flavours are beautifully held together with soft, creamy, mineral like acidity that helps define the palate. The wine is well balanced, finishes dry and with wonderful length of flavour. Cellaring for up to 10 years will provide greater complexity and richness for those who like a bottle aged style.
Vintage Conditions
Vineyard Notes
The South West of Western Australia experienced below average rainfall leading into the growing season, and the warmest spring temperatures on record for Western Australia. The weather pattern remained hot and dry throughout the growing season resulting in the warmest summer on record. Flowering, version, and ripening all occurred early which led to vintage commencing two weeks earlier than average. Harvesting occurred at optimal ripeness, and the resulting wines are full of flavour and generosity.
