Chardonnays and Fridays are a winning combo to me!
Recently I was sent a couple of wines from Silverwater Vineyards to try. They are a small family-run vineyard in San Remo (Gippsland), and after trying their Pinot Noir (find the review here) I couldn’t wait to give the Chardonnay a crack.
Hercules (Herco) grew up in South Africa and met Melbourne born Emily in the UK. After their travels, Herco moved to Australia with Emily, and after a long weekend away on Phillip Island saw an 18-acre property with a vineyard for sale. They took the risk and bought it. This kind of story is my kind of dream!
They knew nothing about the wine industry or vineyard management, so spent the next 6 years learning the ropes and getting guidance from local winemakers. After many years of hard work, they are finally launching their wine!
The Silverwaters Vineyard 2021 Chardonnay is simply delicious. 100% barrel fermentation in a combination of puncheons and hogsheads has created a modern style of Chardonnay.
What I love about this wine is that it’s beautifully balanced and has delicious complexity from the oak treatment. In itself, it is quite subtle with oak notes balanced out by fruit. On the nose, I got lemon, peach and a hint of vanilla. This followed through into the palate which had just the right amount of creaminess in the texture to make the wine rich, yet enough crispness and fruit to balance this out. The wine has just the right amount of each, and each sip unpacked more complexity. Toasted nuts on the palate really added to those fruit notes and made for a simply delicious drop!
Food pairing wise you couldn’t go wrong with salmon or roast chicken. Or even a nice gooey cheese. At $38 a bottle, this wine is perfect for a special meal, or would make a great gift.
Find out more by visiting Silverwaters Vineyard