REGION:
South Australia, 2010
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING:
Specially selected Organic certified vineyards in the Riverland and McLaren Vale of South Australia lend their fruit to this wine. Exceptional organic husbandry has produced ripe flavorsome fruit.
2010 was almost a perfect vintage. Some rain and good inflows into the Murray Darling allowed vines to be watered adequately during the growing season. A short hot period in November lead to some irregular flowering and set and subsequently reduced yield. The rest of the growing period was excellent, lots of sun for ripening, yet cool nights to retain freshness and flavour.
Picked late at night to harvest the grapes as cold as possible the grapes were transported to the winery and pressed using modern membrane tank presses. After cold settling the clear juice was carefully racked to cooled fermentation tanks and small oak barrels and inoculated with selected yeasts. Cool fermentation was followed by minimal handling filtration and bottling at the Angove Family’s Certified Organic winery.
WINEMAKERS’ NOTES:
Light straw with green hues, this is a medium bodied white. Peach, lemon and cantaloupe flavours combine with light oak on the nose. On the palate the wine has a sublime texture and good length with a soft finish.
This elegant wine makes a perfect partner to a variety of seafood dishes such as paella or salmon potpie as well as roast chicken or creamy pasta dishes.
TECHNICAL:
Varieties: Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.5% alc/vol
Total Acidity: 5.7 gms/l
Residual Sugar: <2 gms/l
Weekend Australian - James Halliday - 15.1.11 - 88 Points
“Bright green-straw; certified organically grown; like the shiraz, well-handled, and with plenty of flavour. Its organic credentials are enhanced by the Lean+Green bottle with 38% less glass than the conventional bottle. This results in 19% less water being used and 19% less carbon dioxide being produced in the bottle production.”
B Magazine - Rachel McDonald - 02.11.10
“This got the thumbs up even from a few of my ‘anything but Chardonnay’ friends. It had a typically buttery flavour to start, but the combination of a melon aroma and an unexpected tropical-fruit finish made it appealing to the Sauvignon Blanc fans.”
Adelaide Advertiser - Tony Love - 24.03.10 - 3 Stars
Also appears in Sunday Times
'This Riverland-based family winery champions smart quality drops at very affordable coinage, this one adding a contemporary approach that makes 'organic' very accessible. Light, charry barrel notes give this crunchier appley style chardy a little complexity and it's got some reasonable mouth-filling presence as well.'
G Magazine - Max Allen - 01.12.09
'One criticism often leveled at organic wine is that, while it might be okay for artisan producers, it can't be done on a commercial scale. Try telling that to Angove, one of Australia's largest wine companies. As well as converting 40 hectares of Riverland vineyards to certified organic practice, the company runs a 10-ha biodynamic vineyard in McLaren Vale. If Angove can do it, there's no reason why the whole industry can't convert. This well priced chardonnay is a lovely blend of lemon freshness and peachy ripeness.'
West Australian - 31.12.09 - 87/100
'This is the second vintage of this new range from Angove. The wine comes from organically grown fruit and is made organically. It has a creamy, nutty flavor.'
The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide - 88 Points
'The Angove portfolio of lower-priced yet high-quality wine also takes a philosophical load on with this dedicated organic range. The wine shows clear melon, peach and orange-scented citrus aroma; neat, fresh and bright. Smooth and easy palate with tinned two fruits flavor-balanced and even. A bargain!'
WA Today - David Prestipino - 06.11.09 - 88 points
'From specially-selected organic vineyards in the Riverland and McLaren Vale in South Australia, this wine is incredibly ripe and luscious, light straw in colour, with delicate oak on the nose. With great texture and length on the finish, drinking this organic drop is so dirt cheap.'
Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine - Nov 2009
Best Buy Wines Under $15
'Angove is beginning to turn a healthy shade of green. As well as converting 40 hectares of their Riverland vineyards to certified organic practice, it also runs a 10-hectare vineyard in McLaren Vale biodynamically. And while waiting for fruit from these vineyards, it has also bought grapes from other certified vineyards to release wines under an organic label. This well-price chardonnay has lovely lemon-fresh zestiness as well as the ripe, peachy fruit you expect to find from Riverland-grown grapes.'
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2010 - 87 Points
4 Stars
'While the bouquet is subdued, the palate has unexpected texture and length, with gently savoury nuances.'
The Age - 21.7.09
'Produced from organically managed vineyards in the South Australian Riverland and at McLaren Vale, this well-made, fruity chardonnay is good value. Citrus and melon aromas introduce a light and crisp palate. It's smooth, clean and long-flavoured, with attractive peachy flavours and appealing freshness,'
West Australian - 28.5.09 - Ray Jordan
"This is part of a new range of organic wines Angove launched recently. The wine has light citrus and buttery
aromas with an appealing rich butterscotch influence on the palate. Nice tropical melon flavours with a zippy acid to the finish. Appealing wine."
Who Weekly - 18.5.09 - Page 82
"This organic chardonnay is a pleasing, medium bodied wine, with clean fruit flavours and understated oak."
Paddy Kendler - Herald Sun - 24.03.09
Four Star Review
'Australian winemakers are among the leading international pioneers of organic and biodynamic viticulture. No longer are these 'regimes' associated with a few oddballs: they
have penetrated the mainstream and in most cases, the results are impressive. Angove has just released two organics, a chardonnay and a shiraz cabernet. Both are thoroughly decent drinks with the former having attractive peach and citrus flavour balanced by fresh acidity. Worth a try.'