mac forbes Chardonnay 2011 Yarra Valley Australia

mac forbes Chardonnay 2011 from the Yarra Valley in Victoria,  Australia is a cool vintage wine from a cool region, the restrained aromas of apples and zesty fruits with a hint of cheese is redeemed by the zesty acidity and citric appley flavours on the palate, the alcohol (11.8%) merely supports the structure which is streamlined and elegant, it has a minerality that could be described as wet stones.....  and has clarity - a style that has been aimed at and acheived! The finish is long and sharp fruits are present, slightly acidic - but for food - great.
'Chablis'esk' in style.
Score : 84 and is available from Slurp at a cost of £20.55.

Mac's 2011 Yarra Chardonnay is a blend of the declassified barrels, mainly from the Hoddles Creek and Woori Yallock sites in the cooler upper Yarra Valley. These sites are renowned for producing grapes with citrus flavours and high natural acidity at moderate sugar levels. The grapes for this wine were de-stemmed and crushed before pressing. The juice was cold settled overnight before being racked to barrel for fermentation. Post fermentation the lees were stirred every two weeks until spring. The final new oak component of the wine is roughly 14%. Mac has a Europhile approach to wine making: early harvesting, natural acidity, his search for cool sites, and a relative absence of new oak.

The Yarra Valley was Victoria's first wine growing district with a history stretching back 170 years. It is known as the birthplace of Victoria's wine industry. Vines were first planted in 1838 and viticulture spread rapidly through the 1860s and 1870s And is now recognised as one of Australia's foremost cool climate regions, capable of making classic styles from a wide range of varieties. It is located less than one hour's drive east of Melbourne and is currently home to more than 80 wineries and although grows many grapes successfully it is well known for its high quality for production of premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Yarra Valley is one of Australia's coolest regions, with elevation varying from 50 metres to 400 metres. Rainfall is winter/spring dominant, with the summer relatively cool, dry and humid and there is limited maritime influence a small diurnal temperature range reflects the proximity of the sea. Frost is rarely a problem, but can affect the lower vineyards on the valley floor from time to time. A rainfall of 750-950 millimetres and restricted water holding capacity in some soils, irrigation is considered essential − although the extent of its use does vary significantly between producers. Another  point worth noting is that the Yarra Valley is Phyloxera free.

mac forbes - what people say!

“Mac Forbes is one of the young guns of the Yarra Valley; he was winemaker at Mount Mary for several years before heading to Europe, returning in time for the ’05 vintage.” James Halliday, The Australian

“[Mac Forbes] is a young leader of the movement toward bright, fresh Yarra wines from cool sites.” ‘2010 Wineries to Watch’, Wine & Spirits Magazine

“Mac Forbes, good dude and modern day Bourke and Wills for the ‘elusive sites’, has done much for sexing up the Yarra Valley region’s ability to do great things with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. He fiddles, he fossicks, he sources, he has nice hair. Who doesn’t like nice hair? Meanwhile, the wine itself is notable for finding that tenuous balance between herbal/cool climate influence and the pure, ripe, expressive fruit component.” Mike Bennie, The Wine Front, March 2011