The Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2017 is pale straw in colour. With a vibrant and fresh bouquet, with citrus pith/rind notes, nougat and lemon barley. Nuances of white flower aromatics are underpinned by mineral slate and subtle French oak.
Palate Elegant and pure, with fine texture and juicy citrus acidity. Lemon/lime citrus characters as well as white peach dominate with mineral slate, seamless French oak and nougat. Juicy acidity from the cooler 2017 vintage gives the wine great balance and length.
Reviews
"I’m not sure where we’re at in terms of a release date but I’ve tasted it so we might as well set sail with a review.
Coldstream Hills Chardonnay virtually never disappoints. It’s never too clever for its own good; it’s never up itself; it doesn’t really chase fashion. You’d call it modern in style, I guess, but really it’s just varietal, fresh, zippy and satisfying. It offers flavours/aromas of peaches, meal, flint and woodsmoke but that’s really beside the point: it tastes of chardonnay, gently worked, built to please as much as it is to impress."
93 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, May 2018, Drink: 2018 - 2023
Coldstream Hills was established in 1985 by James and Suzanne Halliday and has since grown to become one of Australia's leading and most awarded small wineries. Situated in the picturesque Yarra Valley east of Melbourne, the steep, close-planted vineyards of Coldstream Hills have become a signature of the region. So too have its wines, which reflect regional character, consistency and style.
Sourced from hillside sloping vineyards in the Upper and Lower Yarra Valley, the grapes are pressed using gentle handling techniques.
Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2017 is barrel fermented and matured in French oak barrels for up to nine months prior to blending and bottling. The Upper Yarra Chardonnay generally provides attractive citrus characters, with mineral slate notes and length; the Lower Yarra is often fleshier in style with attractive white peach and quince characters. Blending of parcels from both regions produces wines of complexity, varietal definition and length.
The 2017 vintage was a return to a cooler weather pattern with cool spring months and a mild to warm Summer. Rainfall and yields were close to average, allowing grape flavour and sugar to ripen in a steady manner. Acid retention was excellent in the fruit giving rise to wines of freshness, vibrancy and great balance.
Maturation Fermented and matured in seasoned and new (26%) French oak barriques, puncheons and vats. Winery Notes
