Wines
2023 RIKARD Black Label Chardonnay
A blend of the best parcels of Chardonnay from our coolest vineyard sites. A small number of barrels were chosen for their intensity and length, made in a modern, fine-boned style with complexity and structure. This wine will reward cellaring.
Our Black Label Chardonnay is only made in exceptional vintages, utilising the best fruit of the vintage to create an elegant wine that is fine-boned, subtle and restrained. It is made to be delicate and pretty, held by a persistent spine of acid in its youth. Whilst still approachable young, it should slowly unravel with time to reveal even greater depth and complexity.
1717 in stock
Description
The 2023 Black Label Chardonnay is made from three different vineyards ranging from 860-990m ASL. Only the free-run portion of the press was utilised for this wine and the vast majority came from the first of multiple picks from each vineyard. There are three different clones of Chardonnay in the blend and the oak used is all fine grained French oak and light to medium in toast.
The vintage was the coolest we’ve seen in Orange since the early 2000’s and for fine-boned, cool climate Chardonnay, that’s exactly how we want it to be! Lovely cool nights, warm days and little to no disease pressure meant that we could pick at optimal ripeness. This is one of the best we’ve made under this label.
COLOUR – Pale yellow
NOSE – Honeysuckle, custard, sunflower seeds combine. Fruit aromas of grapefruit, cumquat and white peach. Cashew and nougat notes with some flinty reduction and toast. It’s a lovely alluring and ever evolving nose. Beautifully balanced and mellow.
PALATE –Juicy acidity provides a perch for a whole range of flavours; nectarine, nougat, grapefruit and preserved lemon. The palate has great intensity and persistence but remains light and moreish. It’s subtle, elegant and pretty but politely assertive. Fine boned and with wonderful length. We love the grainy, textural minerality at its core and the savoury, nutty finish.
Winemaking notes:
- Fruit from three different sites ranging from 860-990m above sea level
- Three separate picks from three different vineyard sites between 25th March and 12th April 2022
- Handpicked into 10kg baskets
- Chilled overnight, lightly pressed with no SO2, free run and pressings separated
- Racked to barrels on full solids, approximately 37% new oak
- Wild yeast ferment in 225L barriques with regular battonage for the first three months
- Full natural malolactic fermentation, SO2 added thereafter
- Elevage in barrel for 11 months with regular topping, occasional lees-stirring during this time
- Racked and blended September 2023 into stainless steel tank on fine lees.
- Naturally settled and further matured for six months in tank.
- Racked and lightly filtered before bottling Nov 23
