Ten Minutes by Tractor Ten X Chardonnay 2019 (Mornington Peninsula)

Ten Minutes by Tractor is the convergence of wine journeys that began almost 40 years ago, a group of individuals and vineyards that fortuitously came together over time to create the winery that exists today.

The winery started in 1997 with three family owned vineyards in Main Ridge, all ten minutes by tractor apart. Since then we have added new vineyards, but all have their own unique character with different aspects, slopes, soils, altitude and winds which flow through the valleys up from Bass Strait. Cool places. Beautiful places. Places that are defined by the wines we make and which can seem like worlds apart.

Lower than average rainfall and relatively standard temperatures over winter, and cooler temperatures in August and September, led to late budburst (our second latest) and flowering. However, above average temperatures and low rainfall during summer meant an early veraison and harvest. The period between flowering and veraison saw our warmest ever average minimum and second warmest maximums. Veraison to harvest was our fourth warmest maximums and our driest (47mm v 136mm average). Five days of above average temperatures at the beginning of harvest compressed the vintage further. Yields are normal and fruit quality is outstanding.

The fruit for the 10 X Ten Minutes by Tractor 2019 vintage Chardonnay were hand-harvested from early to mid March, whole bunch pressed and the unsettled juice fermented by indigenous yeasts in 10% new 228 litre French oak barrels. An 9 month ageing in barrel with no bâtonnage to keep wines fresher and more taut. Natural partial (58%) malolactic fermentation before bottling un-fined and filtered. Winery Notes