Fighting Gully Road 'Smiths Vineyards' Chardonnay 2022
The Wine
Established in 1978, the Smith Vineyard is one of Beechworth’s oldest Chardonnay sites. This release has achieved one of the highest ratings for Beechworth Chardonnays on The Wine Front, placing it among elite company such as Giaconda and Sorrenberg!
For those who appreciate Beechworth Chardonnay at its finest, this is a must-have for the cellar. A new benchmark from one of region’s premier sites.
Only 1200 bottles made!
97 Pts Gary Walsh, The Wine Front 'This enters the pantheon of high scoring Beechworth Chardonnay on TWF as per the list HERE. This is a powerful wine, though what I like most about it, is that it does not come at the expense of charm and drinking appeal. White peach, almond meal, pink grapefruit, biscuit spices, a little struck match adds complexity, and there’s fennel and floral perfume too. It offers fine chalky grip, a burst of grapefruit acidity through white stone fruits, and the finish is all ripe lime juice, spicy, perfumed and offers superb length. A complete wine. Beautiful.'
The Details
Variety - Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - Victoria
Sub Region - Beechworth
Extra - Screwcap
Year - 2022
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
Mark Walpole (former GT Wine Viticulturist of the year) is an out and out Italo-file and responsible for much of the Italian vine material in the country through his tenure at Brown Brothers in the 90s, managing their famous nursery program. Mark’s responsible for so many of the King and Alpine Valleys vineyards we know and love today.
Fighting Gully Road and Smith’s Chardonnay Vineyards sit at atound 550m ASL in the southern end of Beechworth, overlooking the Murmungee Basin. Mark boats an impressive mix of both varietal and clonal sections (some ten different clones of Sangiovese alone), producing pure expressions of Beechworth: Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Verdecchio to name a few.
