2024 Single Plot Chardonnay 'DHH1'

"This has been sourced from a single plot of Gingin chardonnay, and unlike both the Premier and the Heytesbury, gets no new oak. You get a sense of place almost from the first sniff. It’s a bit wild, but complex and intricate. A pure expression of the Gingin clone from a small Wallcliffe vineyard, benefiting from cool climate influence. Powerful and layered, with savoury, mineral, and lemon meringue characters. The palate adds a chalky dryness and savoury element to the long finish."

"Pale colour. Lovely grapefruit, lemon curd, tonic water aromas with marzipan vanilla notes. Superbly balanced wine with ample grapefruit, bitter lemon flavours, fine slinky al dente textures, lovely mid-palate viscosity, underlying vanilla, grilled nut notes and fine cutting acidity. Finishes bittersweet with lemon tonic notes. A textbook gingin clone chardonnay with incredible volume, richness of flavour and mineral freshness."

"Single plot is quite a site-specific chardonnay, sourced from the “coolest” patch of Gingin clone chardonnay. It undergoes a wild yeast fermentation in seasoned barrels and is unfined, unfiltered. At this early stage, it is restrained, subdued and comes quietly to life after a few swishes of air. It’s in no rush. It remains a wine almost grippy-tannin-tight but, nevertheless, with a rich, complexity building. Aromas carry white peach, melon, nectarine, citrus and biscuit. There is an earthiness to this chardonnay mixed with citrus peel, grapefruit, pear and peach with a lemon curd buttery-ness. It is textural and rich across the middle palate, something to build into as the wine ages. How exciting to see one grape – chardonnay – in three very different styles at the top level of the Vasse Felix chardonnay tree. Price-wise, Single Plot sits between the Premier chardonnay and Heytesbury and in one single vintage like 2024 each brings distinctive personalities to the glass."

“It’s from a single block in Wallcliffe and it sees no new oak (it’s all 1-4 year old oak). It takes time to open up and really strut its stuff but the intensity of fruit flavour, complexity and length here are all of outstanding quality, as too is the all-round juiciness. Grapefruit pulp, grapefruit juice, pear, apple, white peach and green pineapple characters fling into mineral, flint, tonic water, cheese and chamomile. It’s engaging, dramatic, beautifully sustained and complex as all get-out. This is Vasse Felix in top form.”