Canobolas Chardonnay 2022
Wine
97 Pts Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion ‘Yellow grapefruit segments, blue riverstone and Blue-Tack. Lily of the Valley blooms, crushed limestone and white apple flesh. Dried brick mortar, honeysuckle and chamomile. Seductively aromatic and full of soil minerals, the wine is electric with pinpoint acidity. An oyster brine of salinity, droplets of finger lime and white pepper. Innate power and force behind this wine built from fruit and site. Oak elevates without distracting in any way. This is supersonic chardonnay.’
96 Pts Huon Hooke, The Real Review - Best 2022 Chardonnay from Orange ‘Light yellow, with a reserved nose that is neatly harmonious and shows good wine characters if not overt or easy to describe. Creamy lees and lemon/citrus. Invisible oak. The palate opens with bright and bracing acidity, the flavours tensioned and fresh, almost nervy, while the shape of the wine is linear and long, with great refinement, purity of fruit, energy and reserve that promises to reveal more in the future’
96 points - Decanter Magazine
96 points - Qwinereviews
96 points - vinonotebook
Chairman's Trophy Orange Wine Show
Gold Medal - Orange Wine Show
This Chardo's had the ‘full treatment’…so to speak. VC
The Details
Variety - Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - NSW
Sub Region - Orange
Extra - Screwcap
Year - 2022
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
Canobolas Wines is the third oldest vineyard and one of the most significant producers of premium wine in the Orange region. The vineyard and winery were established by the Smith family in 1986. They chose the site after a lengthy search for an ideal combination of climate, soil and aspect to be able to create great wine. Sloping North to North East the vineyard rolls from 820m above sea level down to 775m at its lowest point with rich soil and excellent air drainage. It is planted with mainly Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The part of the mountain on which they are situated is the remnants of an extinct volcanic complex which erupted in several phases between 11-13 million years ago, making it a relatively recent geological feature. The basalt rock that was created by the lava flows has broken up over millions of years, forming the deep rich red soils that are excellent for grape growing and wine production. This has allowed the 38 year old vines to grow unirrigated as they can send tap roots down deep into the earth.
The blocks have varying composition, the top Chardonnay coming from the deepest red soil and the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc coming from the stoniest part to the vineyard where shards of basalt and small amounts of fine quartz fragments can be found nearer the surface.
There is a gradual change across the vineyard slope creating unique pockets of terroir. They keep the parcels separate during fermentation to tease out and discover the expression and diversity of soil within the site. Utilizing wild ferments and intervening as little as possible, the grapes are allowed to fully express themselves as they transmute into wine. The intention for each vintage is to create wines of power and grace that seek to impress on the grounds of their elegant composition.
