2021 Maxwell Adelaide Hills Chardonnay

Maxwell Adelaide Hills Chardonnay – A fine Chardonnay from Maxwell’s premium line The Maxwell Adelaide Hills Chardonnay comes from Maxwell’s neighborhood. The Adelaide Hills wine region borders the McLaren Vale and is home to many of Australia’s best white wines, including those made from the Chardonnay grape variety. These hills provide elevated and cooler sites for viticulture, producing wines with good natural acidity, structure and elegance. The 2021 vintage of this Australian white wine was of very high quality. After the harvest, the must was cooled, settled and fermented with yeast added in stainless steel tanks. As soon as the fermentation activity subsided after a few days, the wine was transferred to barrels to stop the fermentation. During the next 8 months, the lees, or more precisely the fine yeast, were stirred once a week in order to soften and cream the wine and thus improve the mouthfeel. This technique is called “batonnage”. The wine was aged for a total of 12 months in French oak barriques.   And this is what the Adelaide Hills Chardonnay from Maxwell tastes like The Adelaide Hills Chardonnay from Maxwell Wines exudes delicate aromas of peach, nectarine and yellow apple, accompanied by floral tones and a hint of vanilla. Stirring the lees has improved the texture and mouthfeel and increased the complexity of this Chardonnay. On the palate, the creamy white wine from Australia shows plenty of fruit and skilful use of wood. Wonderfully layered flavours of nectarine, yellow apple, ripe pear and white peach. A fine and balanced Chardonnay, with a long finish that captures the essence of its cool climate origins. It is made for immediate enjoyment, but also has development potential for another five years.