Ten Minutes by Tractor Mornington Peninsula Estate Chardonnay 2012
The price hasn’t changed and the quality continues. No doubting the joy of this wine, even in a vintage more favourable for reds than whites.
Importantly, this is recognisable as a 10X Chardonnay from first whiff, the Golden Gaytime yeast/oak amalgam and full fruit punching from the start. After the acid driven ’11 this is a much more open and nutty wine this year, perhaps a little broad but also with impressive depth and complexity.
Ultimately I love this sort of fully worked, full tilt Chardonnay (yet with enough acidity to keep things tight) as its what Mornington Chardonnay should taste like.
Details: 13.5%, Screwcap, $42
Source: Sample, tasted Jan 15
Drink: 2015-2018
Score: 18.1/20, 93/100
Would I buy it? Absolutely. I’d drink the best part of a bottle over dinner no sweat. Needs a full flavoured food to match though.
Buy online: Ten Minutes By Tractor website
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4 Comments
Nice review. I'm with ya: I don't want my chardonnay tasting like Riesling. The acid is of course important, but give me that nutty, deep richness as well.
Exactly. Riesling to taste like Riesling. Chardonnay like Chardonnay
I saw a feature on Chardonnay in Aus in the Wine Companion mag the other day, and it seemed almost every winemaker interviewed said they were moving to much less malolactic fermentation, or, if I remember correctly, to none at all! This scares me. Is the malo so bad?
You don't hear winemakers in Puligny Montrachet talking about pulling back on their malo…
It's all going a little too far in my opinion. Malo is not evil!