Curly Flat's Chardonnay 2021 for the patient - Australian Wine and Drinks Review

January 18, 2023

Curly Flat’s Chardonnay 2021 for the patient

If you ever wanted a reminder of just how cool the Macedon Ranges can be, look no further than this Curly Flat Chardonnay 2021.

It’s so tight, so crystalline so barely formed. I can see the magic, but only because I’ve tasted so many vintages to know. Otherwise, it feels so backward – a bit of banana cream, maybe even some thing herbaceous, milky hints, white rock, white nectarine. The palate is tightly wound in grapefruit acidity too, the oak adding a layer of richness but also some oak tannins (which you wouldn’t notice if the wine had more weight).

This is vinfanticide. My score looks low and will be so for a few years yet, but this simply isn’t ready.

Best drinking: give it two more years in bottle. Then drink for many years. 17.7/20, 92/100+. 13.2%, $48. Curly Flat website. Would I buy it? I’ll still take a bottle for the cellar. The promise is there.

2021, Chardonnay, Macedon Ranges

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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6 responses to “Curly Flat’s Chardonnay 2021 for the patient”

Luke Steele

January 18, 2023 at 5:38 pm

It’s like a lot of the top flight Orange Chardonnay wines from 2021. They need 2 days in a decanter at 20 degrees to show their best. Or a trip in the way forward machine

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Andrew Graham

January 18, 2023 at 9:52 pm

Embryonic is the word for it

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Tony Winspear

January 19, 2023 at 12:04 pm

From our small amount of experience, Macedon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir take their own sweet time to open up. Elegant, fine and backward is how I would describe them for the first 2 years at least and then opening up quite slowly after that.

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Andrew Graham

January 19, 2023 at 1:54 pm

Your Macedon wines are excellent too Tony

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Colin

January 19, 2023 at 4:18 pm

Enjoyed (very much) a bottle of Balgownie Estate (Macedon Ranges) Chardonnay 2019, two weeks ago at a not too local restaurant. Terrific Chardonnay Tony Winspear 😊!
Regards
Colin

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Mahmoud Ali

January 19, 2023 at 10:02 pm

Colin, regarding Balgownie Chardonnay, my one experience was with a 1990 ‘Premier Cuvee’ Series 1 and it was delightful. It was 18 years old and at the time I wrote:”The refined nose featured ripe melon, a hint of grapefruit and fine cashew nut oak. One could go on sniffing it without feeling the need to taste it. The palate was fresh but delicate, not much fruit but lovely citrusy elements mingled with the toasty but refined oak. With a nice lingering finish and plenty of acidity it went well with the baked salmon and onion couscous.”

Oddly enough the grapes came Coonawarra as the back label read: “This wine is produced from hand pruned and harvested chardonnay grapes from the Coonawarra region of South Australia. Traditional Burgundian fermentation and oak maturation techniques have created a rich full flavoured style that can be enjoyed now or will repay cellar maturation.” If the wine making techniques are the same then the current Balgownies should be excellent and cellar worthy.

One more thing, it was only 11% alcohol.

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