Beechworth Wine Estates Chardonnay 2023

Winemaking Notes
The Beechworth Wine Estates Chardonnay 2023 is crafted with meticulous attention to detail at this boutique family-run vineyard located at Baarmutha, just 4 kilometres from the beautiful historical town of Beechworth in Victoria's renowned cool-climate wine region. Founded in 2003, Beechworth Wine Estates is a family-owned business situated on 53 acres, with half the property planted to a diverse range of varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and other premium grapes. The 2023 Chardonnay fruit was whole-bunch pressed directly into barrel for fermentation in French oak, with 30% new oak carefully integrated to add complexity without overwhelming the fruit's purity. The wine matured on lees for ten months, a traditional technique that builds textural richness and adds subtle toasted lees character whilst preserving the wine's elegant fruit expression. This extended lees contact, combined with careful temperature monitoring throughout maturation, has resulted in a wine of remarkable complexity with notes of citrus blossom and crisp white peach. The palate shows the richness, complexity and length of flavour for which Beechworth Chardonnay is renowned. Suitable for vegans with no animal products used in production, this wine can be enjoyed now or cellared for up to 6 years, allowing the wine to develop further complexity and integration.

Vintage Conditions
The 2023 vintage in Beechworth delivered exceptional conditions for Chardonnay production, allowing the fruit at Beechworth Wine Estates to achieve optimal ripeness whilst retaining the vibrant natural acidity essential for premium cool-climate white wine. The region's unique terroir—characterised by ancient granitic soils, significant diurnal temperature variation and a continental climate with warm days and cool nights—proved ideal for developing the concentrated fruit flavours and elegant structure that define quality Beechworth Chardonnay. The growing season benefited from balanced conditions that allowed the vines to develop healthy canopies and achieve full physiological maturity, resulting in fruit with excellent flavour concentration and aromatic complexity. The careful vineyard management practised at this family-run estate, combined with the favourable vintage conditions, produced grapes of outstanding quality that displayed the classic citrus blossom, white peach and delicate floral notes characteristic of the region. The decision to whole-bunch press the fruit and ferment in French oak barrels allowed the winemaking team to capture the vintage's exceptional quality, whilst the ten months of lees ageing added the textural richness and complexity that have established Beechworth as one of Australia's premier regions for elegant, age-worthy Chardonnay.