The 2019 Yarra Valley Crudo Chardonnay comes off the Denton block, a northwest-facing slope of granitic sand over heavy granite boulders. Winemaker Luke Lambert notes the Denton soils and aspect bring a clean acid line and intense freshness to this wine. This was whole-bunch pressed, without any skin contact this year. Otherwise the story, as they say, remains the same: wild yeast fermentation, full malo, old oak, no temperature control, zero fining or filtration, only minimal sulphur at bottling, and large (2,000-litre) French oak foudre for maturation. Superb for the price point, expect a generous dollop of peachy fruit, solid complexity and fabulous freshness on the finish.
"Comes closed with a DIAM cork, rather than the usual screwcap. I’m pretty sure Luke has good reason to do so, given his attention to detail.
Umami as ever, with a saline and nutty, almost sake-like character, but in with that, green apple, lemon zest, spice and a little trademark funk. Raw almonds, in texture as much as flavour, green apple crunch of acidity, chalky texture, a suggestion of ginger, and a long textured, dusty and citrus-laced finish of fine length. It’s a wine of unique personality and rare sophistication at its price point, and otherwise."
94 Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, December 2019, Drink: 2019 - 2025+
All Luke Lambert wines are handpicked and of single-vineyard origin. They are wildly perfumed with moderate alcohol, fresh acidities, powdery tannins, and limited oak influence. These are wines made as if the industrial revolution (in wine) was a figment of our collective imagination. Luke’s methodology includes wild ferments without the aid of temperature control, hand plunging, long macerations (with plenty of whole-bunch for the Syrahs), basket-pressing, gravity rather than pumping, old oak, and no fining or filtration. Lambert’s belief that "...the best wines have always been made by feel and are always sourced from unique and interesting vineyards that have natural balance and grow grapes full of character..." comes through strongly in the remarkable complexity and placeness of these wines. There is no doubt that when it comes to what John Livingston-Learmonth terms STGT (Soil To Glass Transfer), Luke Lambert is one of our most exciting home-grown talents.
Lambert is obviously inspired by his experience making wine in Piemonte and Australia yet firmly believes that "...the shape of a wine should be governed by what soil you’re on, the aspect, the amount of sunshine and rain." In other words, the personality of a wine will be dictated by its “place”. Lambert’s source vineyards (in poor, rocky and elevated pockets of the Yarra Valley) are therefore managed in order to bring out their unique geographic signature in the final wines. Distributor Notes
