Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2017 (Australia)

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2017 (Australia)Vasse Felix Chardonnay is typified by its bright, elegant fruit, subtle wild complexities and a tight acid structure, reflecting the vibrancy and purity of this variety in Margaret River. Bright pale straw colour in the glass with light notes of pineapple, grapefruit and crunchy nectarine purity provide a bright fruit base to the nose. French oak and time on yeast lees contribute delicious secondary layers of ginger, vanilla biscuit, almond meal and

Vasse Felix Chardonnay is typified by its bright, elegant fruit, subtle wild complexities and a tight acid structure, reflecting the vibrancy and purity of this variety in Margaret River. Bright pale straw colour in the glass with light notes of pineapple, grapefruit and crunchy nectarine purity provide a bright fruit base to the nose. French oak and time on yeast lees contribute delicious secondary layers of ginger, vanilla biscuit, almond meal and lemon curd. The palate is light and fine, in touch with delicate citrus flavour, a hint vanilla biscuit and a zesty polished acid tang. It delivers a spotless palate that evokes a mouth-watering, river stone dryness coupled to a fine savoury, silky texture.

'Filius' translates to 'son of' in Latin, reflecting the relationship between this wine and its premier 'father'.

All parcels were treated in respect of the unique qualities coming from each of our vineyard sites; natural fermentation with varying solids levels, fine French Oak and battonage programs were tailored to each individual batch. Following 8 months of maturation in oak, the parcels of vibrant fruit and elegant fruit
weight with complexity, were combined to create a unique varietal Chardonnay from Margaret River. For the second year in a row, we underwent MLF due to high acidity at harvest.

2017 was a cooler and later vintage than the previous 10 years; a year of elegant, perhaps slightly lighter bodied wines, though ripe in flavour, vibrant and very perfumed. Higher than average yields in combination with a cooler season contributed to delayed ripening of the fruit and good acid retention. Some timely warmth and sunshine occurred throughout January, although February temperatures remained moderate with some rainfall. With the cooler weather, canopy management and fruit thinning was imperative to mitigate disease pressures and allow for even, persistent ripening. There was a warm start to March to finish the white harvest, followed by the driest April since 1982, finishing the reds beautifully.