Review - Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2005

Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2005

The 2005 Heytesbury Chardonnay is coloured light to mid straw with green tones. It is perfumed by a subtle nose of floral, lavender spice and talc, with distinct fruit and citrus aromas such as grapefruit, tangerine and orange zest, pineapple, rockmelon and nectarine. These aromas are tightly blended with the secondary characters of roasted almonds and nougat, crème brullee, and a hint of gun smoke and flint. An attractive French oak complements and beautifully balances these flavours.

A smooth long focused palate provides elegant composure and presence in the mouth. The palate of custard apples, pear, stone fruit and lemon tart flavours provide an honest fruit sweetness and freshness. The acid is also perceptible which gives the wine a long clean and crisp finish. Soft creamy edges from wild fermentation and lees stirring instantly provide texture and an oily feel yet the oak influences supply a clean, dry and long mineral finish. New oak has been used carefully in this wine offering a tight composition and elegance.

Overall this intensely concentrated wine with its trademark reserved force of Heytesbury and varietal excellence of Chardonnay mirrors its cool climate heritage well. The Heytesbury Chardonnay epitomizes the best quality chardonnay fruit for the vintage with its subtle complexity, remarkably pure fruit flavours and a full bodied mouth feel that is clean, restrained, refreshing and completely balanced.