Winery & Vintage Info
A critical selection is applied to our Margaret River vineyards for growing Miamup Chardonnay. Each location adds to the complexity of the wine due to the soils, aspects, clones and microclimates unique to the respective sites. Applied to this rich collection of choice, is the skill and enthusiasm of our winemaking team that draws upon traditional winemaking methods and the use of fine grain French oak to craft a layered, flavoursome and complex wine.
The 2024 vintage was early, compressed and fast-paced. The cool, wet 2023 winter weather disappeared quickly and was replaced by a dry, warm spring. Above-average temperatures and almost no rainfall led to early budburst and perfect growing conditions for vines. Canopy growth was good, flowering occurred early and went through quickly, leading to early veraison in all varieties. In late December, colour could be seen in Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, pointing to a very early vintage, and January saw a continuation of the dry conditions.
2024 was also a vintage with abundant marri blossom, known as a "mast year", and there was little to no grape loss due to the native silvereye birds. This usually occurs every four years or so, as it takes the trees time to muster sufficient resources to produce a massive flowering.
Harvest began in mid-January, four weeks earlier than usual. Fruit continued to ripen rapidly and early attention to detail in the vineyard paid dividends. Picking dates needed careful consideration to ensure physiological maturity with vibrancy of fruit expression, and the narrow windows of opportunity to harvest required skilful scheduling of vineyard and winery teams.
All varieties reached full maturity earlier than we are used to, and lower yields in some varieties and vineyards led to a concentration of aromas and flavours. This bodes well for some superb quality wines from 2024 in both Margaret River and Great Southern.
The Miamup Chardonnay is a selection from individual vineyard blocks and clones, with the majority sourced from our Margaret River vineyards largely based in Willyabrup.
Each batch is picked in the cool of the night and processed soon after picking to ensure varietal flavours are preserved. Fermentation and malolactic occurs in a combination of 50% French oak (10% new) and 50% stainless-steel tank to retain freshness and purity. The temperature of fermentation is between 18˚C to 22˚C and the lees are stirred from the end of fermentation and throughout the malolactic. After 10 months on lees, the wine is blended to tank and held for 2 months prior to fining, filtration and bottling.
