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(Archive)
Would that there were more Mount Horrockses in Australia,
Stephanie Toole seems incapable of making a boring wine,
and while she is rightly famed for her crisp, elegant
Riesling, this Chardonnay ain’t half bad. It’s
become fashionable to poo-poo Australian Chardonnay,
largely because of mass-produced, high-volume wines
at the cheaper end of the market. However, Toole’s
complex, tangy version has little in common with those.
Her Chardonnay is svelte and moreish, rather than being
brash and off-putting, with delicate grapefruit and
fig flavours and a nutty, toasty note from eight months
ageing in French oak. Tasty as it is now, there’s
enough of a backbone of acidity to justify keeping a
bottle or two until 2005. The only problem? There’s
not much of it around – Mount Horrocks produces
just 5,000 cases a year.
Mount Horrocks wines are made at the Grosset winery
and between the husband and wife team of Stephanie Toole
(Mount Horrocks) and Jeff Grosset, that little building
pumps out a high percentage of chart-busters.
CURRENT RELEASE 1999 Such a light hand has been used
with the oak that it almost seems unwooded. The colour
is brilliant full yellow, the nose shows an obvious
cashew-nut, peach, fig chardonnay signature, and it's
soft and very fruity in the mouth. There is some oily
texture and a suggestion of sweetness. It could take
a good chill. Serve it with chicken casserole.
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