2023 By Farr Chardonnay

Gary Farr has been making wine in the Moorabool Valley near Bannockburn, about an hour's drive from Melbourne, since 1978. Before starting in Australia, he travelled the world, learning his trade at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, Cristom in Oregon and Calera in California. It was not surprising that he fell in love with Pinot Noir here and brought it back to Australia - not without a fight. By Farr also produces premium Chardonnay and has planted Shiraz and Viognier. Today, the next generation, Nick Farr, has taken over the business, although Gary still keeps an eye on things. By Farr winery covers 130 hectares, of which 36 hectares are planted with vines.

Victoria is the wine region in the southeast of Australia and one of the few cool climate zones in the country. Victoria has a predominantly cool to temperate climate. The proximity to the ocean, the differences in altitude and the exposure of the vineyard play a major role. If we lump all sub-regions together, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the two specialties. They are produced in all styles. Pinot Noir varies from delicate to more structured, but the common denominator is the pure fruit character. Chardonnay ranges from full and concentrated from Geelong to light and fresh from the Mornington Peninsula.

The By Farr Chardonnay comes from the same site as the Sangreal Pinot Noir - composed of red soil over limestone - and was planted in 1994. The limestone from this site is not visible on the surface like in other locations. The limestone starts 20 to 30 cm below the surface, down to the depths of the root zone of the vines. It is a very exposed north-facing slope. The clones used for the Chardonnay are a blend of Dijon clones and Penfolds 58. The bunches of grapes are hand-picked very selectively at optimum ripeness. In the vinification cellar, the bunches are pressed whole with extreme care and the juice is left to rest at very low temperatures to allow the coarser components to settle. The clean juice is then transferred to French oak barriques (30% new) to undergo spontaneous alcoholic fermentation with wild (grape-specific) yeasts for just over a month. The young wine is then transferred to clean barriques for malolactic fermentation and a maturation period on the lees. Approximately 11 months after the harvest, the wine is assembled, clarified, possibly lightly filtered and bottled. In the glass, the By Farr is a clear straw yellow colour. On the nose, aromas of grapefruit, papaya, pineapple, roasted almonds, popcorn and a hint of flint. On the palate, hints of lime peel, nectarines, tropical fruit and brioche, which are accompanied by a long mineral finish with delicately fresh acids.