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The third vintage of this limited release Chardonnay. Single Plot DHJ1 is a site-specific expression that is truly unique. Grown on a tiny plot in the coolest pocket of our site in the Wallcliffe area, ‘J Plot’ sits between a tributary for the Boodjidup Creek and the vineyard dam, upon Red Chromosol (Karri Loam) soils with alluvial laterite deposits. The vines face south-east, receiving cooling influences from both the Indian and Southern Oceans, for gradual, gentle ripening. Virginia and the team continue to be blown away by this outstanding plot, which they feel is too special not to share. Thus, its own bottling felt appropriate. As with all Vasse Felix Chardonnays, pure expression is at the core. With this in mind, a very deliberate choice was made to pair this wine with older, lighter oak to celebrate its elegance, finesse and natural acidity as a lighter-framed, pristine Chardonnay. The wine is unfined and unfiltered, allowing its natural expression to shine.
A cool dry spring delayed vine development by 2-3 weeks, allowing time to open canopies which paid off come veraison. December, January and February brought consistent dry and mild conditions which saw vine development catch up nicely. Yields and bunch weights were a highlight, with fruit displaying beautiful balance. Ideal mild conditions allowed Chardonnay to develop bright acidity and sound flavour ripeness. Low Marri Blossom presence resulted in the largest netting program since 2019, with bird pressure at a high during harvest. Overall, vineyard plots have shown excellent balance with more fruit and canopy, reflecting vine health and minimal heat stress from a milder season.
Winsor's Choice
What a stunningly complete bottle this is. It is the third vintage of this limited-release wine that is a brilliant example of precise, Burgundy-accented, cooler-climate Australian chardonnay. The fruit is grown on a tiny plot in the coolest pocket of a vineyard in Wallcliffe in Margaret River that receives cooling influences from both the Indian and Southern oceans. It is a wine of purity and length that has seen only older, lighter oak to let the elegant characters of the grapes shine through. It's all about the fruit here, largely unadulterated. Unfined, unfiltered and dramatically drinkable. Flinty, citrusy and complex with brilliantly tangy acid on the finish.
95 Points
The DHJ1 plot is the coolest pocket of Vasse Felix’s Wallcliffe property, sited between a tributary of the Boodjidup Creek and the vineyard dam. In pure quality terms this is right up there with the Heytesbury release. It is though a cleaner, purer style, its grapefruit and stonefruit characters bell clear, its creamy mouthfeel so perfectly played and placed. I loved the 2022 release of this wine and I love this 2023 as well. It’s a wine of genuine power, noteworthy finesse and outstanding length. It is, essentially, chardonnay in all its glory.