Pinical Estate farms in the Riverina, the broad, warm inland plain of New South Wales where Australia grows most of its Chardonnay. The Reserve bottling is the fuller expression of the grape: dry, medium in acidity, with the creamy weight that comes from time on the yeast lees.
- Chardonnay, 100%, Riverina, New South Wales.
- 2022 vintage, 13% ABV, 750ml.
- Dry, full-bodied, low tannin, medium acidity.
- Stone fruit, melon and citrus over vanilla oak.
How it is made
Chardonnay is a neutral grape, which is why the winemaking shows through so plainly. Fermentation and ageing in oak barrels give the vanilla and the creamy texture; time resting on the spent yeast adds the faintly bready note that sits behind the fruit. Riverina's hot, irrigated inland climate ripens the grapes fully, so the wine lands full-bodied and soft rather than lean.
How it tastes
Ripe stone fruit and melon up front, citrus cutting through the middle, then vanilla oak and a creamy, rounded finish. Medium acidity keeps it from feeling heavy. The oak is present but folded into the fruit rather than sitting on top of it.
Good to know
Riverina is one of Australia's oldest winegrowing regions, planted in the early 1900s, and it supplies a large share of the country's everyday Chardonnay. The grape itself is a natural crossing of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, and it mutates easily, which is why Chardonnay grown in warm inland country tastes nothing like Chardonnay from Chablis.
