Ten Minutes Estate Chardonnay

Ten Minutes Estate Chardonnay

Ten Minutes by Tractor Estate Chardonnay – After a very cold winter, the 2016 growing season had the highest average maximum temperature (23ºC v 21.8ºC avg), earliest flowering (10 days earlier than average) and harvest dates (23 days earlier than average) on record, lowest growing season rainfall (211mm v 348mm avg) and shortest hang time (budburst-harvest; 21 days shorter than average). The result was a dry and warm vintage with good yields.

Grapes hand-harvested through march, whole bunch pressed and the unsettled juice was transferred to 19% new French oak barriques. Fermentation by indigenous yeasts preceded a partial (83%) malolactic fermentation in spring and regular stirring of lees was carried out over a 11 month barrel maturation. Bottled unfined after filtration.

Now a blend of four vineyards, the Estate Chardonnay takes a different tack this year, the vintage warmth delivering a wine that has more width and volume. There’s an extra edge of white chocolate on the nose this year too, though backed with a more traditional white peach and nectarine that is the Ten Minutes by Tractor trademark. Underneath, it’s a broadly proportioned wine with a notable depth of flavour this year – a more full-throttle Estate Chardonnay – though with plenty of acidity to carry off the style.

Food :: Temperature Creamed salmon roe, with richness to match the wine. Serve at 10–13°C.

Best drinking 2018-2026

For more information on the vineyard go to https://www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

To see our full range of Ten Minutes by Tractor product go to https://www.auswinesonline.co.uk/product-category/ten-minutes-by-tractor/

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.
Our 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.