De Morgenzon Reserve Chardonnay 2019 [TA 93]

Tim Atkin 93 points.

Golden with green hues. Hot toasted brioche with zesty marmalade. Backbone of lime and lemongrass with floral notes of honeysuckle and frangipani on the palate. Warm, rich vanilla and a creamy almond finish. 2019 was a cooler vintage than the previous hot and dry years.

Whilst the vineyards benefited from decent winter rainfall there were some latent stress effects from the previous year’s drought conditions. This resulted in some uneven budding and careful harvesting was necessary to achieve a total pick of optimum ripeness. Cool conditions during the early part of the ripening resulted in high acidities and low pH, resulting in wines that are fresh, precise and bright. The grapes were hand-picked and whole bunch pressed. Juice was transferred to French oak barrels with minimal settling. Fermentation occurred naturally in French oak barrels of which 30% was new. About 70% of the volume completed Malolatic fermentation during a 10-month ageing on the gross lees. The wine was bottled with minimal stabilization and clarified without filtration.