Paladin Hill Chardonnay 2021 - Museum
This is a fine and delicate Chardonnay that demonstrates restraint, but also power and concentration at the same time. The palate is seamless, tight, and fine, with a lovely crisp, lingering acidity. It is long and pure with an excellent balance of oak, which adds to the deceptive intensity of the wine.
Tasting Notes
COLOUR
Pale straw, with subtle green tinges
NOSE
Concentrated and showing lifted limes, melon, and subtle cashew
PALATE
This is a fine and delicate Chardonnay that demonstrates restraint, but also power and concentration at the same time. The palate is seamless, tight, and fine, with a lovely crisp, lingering acidity. It is long and pure with an excellent balance of oak, which adds to the deceptive intensity of the wine.
Winemaking
The grapes for our Paladin Hill Chardonnay were hand-picked in the cool of the morning from our Wills Domain Vineyard. This site has a pronounced maritime climate which is windy and elevated and serves to promote cool slow ripening. Our Chardonnay blocks seven and thirteen, serve to further promote slow ripening as they are both on southerly slopes. The fruit was chilled overnight, whole bunch pressed the following day, and racked to barrels with minimal settling and fermented with natural yeasts. The wine was left on lees for nine months with periodic battonage and gently pumped from barrels before being stabilized and bottled in December 2021.
Food Pairing
Seafood extravaganza with succulent grilled marron, exquisite crayfish shellfish, or a perfectly grilled, rich fish like buttery salmon, velvety tuna, or flaky cod, all nestled on a bed of lusciously creamy pasta.