That first impression grew as I worked my way around the tables of Chardonnays at Sixty Darling Street last Saturday. The overall quality of the wines I tasted – mostly under $25 – was as even as a perfect equation, and high.
Radovan and Rosa have moved the bulk of their stock to a warehouse and now have 2 rooms at the back of the store for tastings. The space isn’t huge but it wasn’t as squeezy as I expected. They stock many labels you won’t see many other places, and good on them for that. On the downside, there’s no functioning website so you’ll have to shop the old way:
Sixty Darling Street Fine Wines – 02 9818 3077 – sales@wineroom.com.au
In my notes I’ve focused on the best wines I found here in our price rang, and listed them in ascending price order.
Peter Lehmann Hill & Valley Chardonnay (Eden Valley) 2013 – $16. Pretty decent Chardy for the price, in the modern vein, on the lighter side but not lacking flavour or interest. The company’s blurb says it’s ‘sourced from a vineyard in Wilton (Eden Valley), where the superior Bernard clone from Dijon has been planted in lean, rocky soils. The steep east-facing block benefits from cooling breezes. A Burgundian approach was taken to the winemaking … with fermentation in French oak hogsheads with regular lees stirring creates a wine of great complexity and lift.’ Hard to believe of the cheapest wine at this tasting but the wine has a lot of appeal.
Highgate Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2013 – $17. Old-style rich, full-bodied, smooth and easy-drinking Hunter Valley Chardonnay.
Juniper Crossing Margaret River Chardonnay 2013 – $18. What it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in sheer drinkability. Terrific wine for the money.
Merricks Thompson Lane Chardonnay 2012 – $20. A lot of finesse here, and elegance but no grapefruit. Hint of cashews. Very fine acid backbone – Mornington Peninsula, good value.
Bests Great Western Chardonnay 2011 – $20. Another wine we’ve recommended. A Chardy in the finer style made from fruit that’s picked early, partly fermented in stainless steel and French oak (20% new). 3 years old but will improve for another 3.
Howard Park Flint Rock Chardonnay 2012 – $20. From a single vineyard in the great Southern, made using a cool ferment and wild yeast, matured in tank and older oak. It’s crisp and fresh, a perfectly judged modern Chardonnay with stonefruits and only a hint of grapefruit. Hits the target, sharp price.
Vavasour Awatere / Marlborough Chardonnay 2012 – $22. Easy drinking, mouthfilling, smooth and creamy. CPR (Crowd Pleaser Rating) 8 out of 10
Harewood Denmark Chardonnay 2013 – $22. From a rising star in the Great Southern, this Chardy has finesse and polish (French oak?) and the mineral acidity of the region on the finish. Classy.
3 drops chardonnay 2012 – $23 nice easy-going Chardy in the lighter style, made by Wine Companion winemaker of the year Rob Diletti at Mount Barker in the Great Southern.
Heggies Eden Valley Chardonnay 2012 – $27 at DST but under $23 at Dan M’s. We’ve sung the praises of this wine already. It’s smoother, more polished and more focused than the Hill-Smith at this time, and it’s good value at $23.
Louis Latour Macon Lugny ‘Les Genievres’ 2012 – $25 at 60DST or $23 at OurCellar. A real taste of white Burgundy here, less fruity and more savoury than most of our Chardies, polished and still restrained but will get better given a year or three.
Toolangi Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2011 – $23. Made by Oakridge Estate, ripe, well-rounded mouthful with plenty of flavour and balance. Lovely drinking.
Forest Hill Estate Block 8 Chardonnay 2011 – $25. We’ve raved about this wine before, and it stood out again for its complexity and creamy mouth feel. Very hard to find.
Holm Oak Tamar Valley Chardonnay 2013 – $25. Delicate, fine-boned, very young but stylish, just needs a couple of years to fill out
Hill-Smith Estate Chardonnay 2012 – $25 at 60DST or Vintage Direct / Nicks. This was part of a recent set of samples Yalumba sent us. This wine’s had a fair bit of work done on it, I suspect. There’s lots to talk about, from nuts to biscuits and toasted oak with lemon rind and minerals thrown in. All these goodies will need a bit more time to embrace each other fully, then it will be a great Chardy. .
Galli Artigiano Chardonnay Chardonnay 2010 – $25. Interesting boutique near Sunbury, Vic, with a second vineyard at Heathcote. 5 red stars in the Wine Companion. Cool climate Chardy this, balanced and interesting and developing slowly.
Mountadam High Eden Chardonnay 2012 – $ 28 at 60 DST or $26 at Winesellersdirect. Interesting to see our favourite Chardonnay in a line-up of peers. There were bigger wines here, but this is tops for sheer class and finesse.