McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Vineyard Chardonnay

Wine information: McHenry Hohnen wines was launched in 2006 by David Hohnen and his brother-in-law Murray McHenry and is a family owned wine producer sourcing grapes from four vineyards around the Margaret River in Australia. The Mediterranean climate of the Margaret River is perfectly suited to growing varieties associated with southern France and Spain as well reflecting the regions heritage with Bordeaux varieties. Common sense farming philosophies are employed, cultivating a system in which soil and its organisms, along with plants, insects and animals co-exist in a thriving equilibrium. Margaret River in Western Australia has a stunning coastline and world-class wineries.  It is synonymous with a new era in Australian wine, with its Mediterranean climate and soil being comparable to that of Burgundy. The region runs along the coast from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin in the south. The Margaret River flows east to west through its centre and the Blackwood River flows southwest to Augusta. The region features a ridge running from cape to cape. The land is undulating and the soils are gravelly sandy loams. The climate is warm maritime with cooling breezes (and sometimes strong winds) off the Indian Ocean. Most rain falls in autumn and winter. The fruit for this wine is sourced from the Rocky Road vineyard which lies in the headwaters of the Chapman Brook, near Witchcliffe in the south of the Margaret River region. With a northerly aspect, the vines enjoy long days of sunshine, moderated by the vineyard's southern location. All vines on the McHenry Hohnen vineyards are grown on a single bilateral cordon with a vertically trained canopy. It is a simple and practical format that maximises light penetration and maintains a balanced vine. Grapes are harvested in the cool of the night and following whole berry pressing, the juice is settled, and then run into barrels for the primary fermentation. Some batches are inoculated with yeast whilst others are left to proceed with a natural fermentation. The finished wine is left on spent yeast cells until the blend is assembled and bottled in late summer.

Tasting Notes: McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Vineyard Chardonnay has aromas of orange zest and freshly shelled cashew, this wine shows elegance and restraint. Separate batches of fruit from the top and bottom of the valley are fermented separately and then blended to provide a creamy clay overlay on the mineral notes that are characteristic of the Rocky Road site. The result is a tight lemon curd palate supported by lingering notes of candied peel and ginger.

 
     

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