McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Chardonnay 2010 Margaret River Australia

McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Chardonnay 2010 from Western Australia - Margaret River. It is a cracking wine, fresh clean aromas of melon, peach and apricot and a hint of cleverly integrated spice introduce it nicely. On the palate an apple start leads to melon and peach and then a cheesy edge, the acidity of the wine is fine and fresh and the alcohol, well integrated is enrobing the flavours, adding a warmth that is still clean and balanced. The length is long and the spice skips in an out of the fruit, all sweet and ripe, a really carefully crafted wine.
Score : 88 and is available to purchase form WineDirect at a cost of £17.50.

David Hohnen is well-known in the wine industry for his development of both the Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay brands, his latest wine venture is in partnership with his brother-in-law Murray McHenry, his daughter Freya and her partner, winemaker Ryan Walsh. They have planted a wide range of alternative varietals from southern France and Spain ( marsanne, roussanne, grenache, mataro, shiraz, tempranillo ) which are proving to be very well-suited to the area. Grapes are sourced from three vineyards owned within the families of David Hohnen and his brother-in-law Murray McHenry. Within the three vineyards, fourteen varieties are cultivated. These reflect the region's heritage with the Bordeaux varieties (semillon, sauvignon blanc, malbec, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot) and as well as the varieties mentioned above (marsanne, roussanne etc.)  are Chardonnay and Zinfandel
From the Rocky Road vineyard, fruit is picked separately from the top and bottom of the valley, fermented separately and then blended to produce a wine that represents the minerality style of the vineyard "creamy clay" . The grapes were picked during the coolness of the night and following pressing were fermented in oak barrels. The wine was left on its lees untill the blend was assembled and bottled in late summer.

Margaret River
Located approximately three hours' drive south of Perth, the region was ‘discovered’ in the early 1970s after various pieces of research from Professor Harold Olmo and Dr John Gladstones identified it as a potentially great grape growing region. The Margaret River area includes the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north-south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and is bounded to the west by the Indian Ocean. Highly regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines. The region is a vibrant and popular wine destination for visitors from around the world. 

Margaret River wine region first saw European settlement as late as the 1830’s and has evolved from pioneer ‘outstation’, forestry, dairy, alternative life stylers who enjoyed the unique coast and its surfing to an area dedicated to the pursuit of great vines and fine wine.

The climate is strongly maritime-influenced, as might be expected in a region surrounded by the ocean on three sides.  With a mean annual temperature range of only 7.6°C (45.68°F), it has less than 25% of its annual rain falling between October and April. The low diurnal and seasonal temperature range means an unusually even accumulation of warmth. While spring frosts are very rare and highly localised, the lack of winter dormancy for the vines can cause problems that are unique to this region.

Reviews.

Robert Parker (2009)90 pts

Wine Advocate #191 Oct 2010 - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - 2009 Rocky Road Vineyard Chardonnay was fermented in oak with a proportion of natural yeast. It gives intense citrus and tropical fruit aromas with notes of lemon curd, pineapple and green guava plus nuances of passion fruit and cedar. This medium bodied wine has a good backbone of high acidity enlivening the concentrated flavors and a long, zesty finish. Drinking now, it should continue to be delicious until 2014+.

Jancis Robinson (2010)16.5 pts

Tasted Jan 2012 - Smoky oak aroma (all French). Rich, dense and fresh with ripe fruit flavours giving breadth. (JH)

James Halliday (2010)94 pts

Pale straw-green; similar restraint in the winery, both McHenry Hohnen Chardonnays are wild-yeast-fermented, but here the flavours are in the grapefruit spectrum, heightened by the linear acidity the fruit offers; this wine, too, is driven by fruit, not oak.

Wine Front (2010)95 pts

Cumquat, nectarine and spice to smell and taste with a startling burst on the palate of intense grapefruit flavour and acidity – the acid line and drive is unswerving and precise. It’s a leaner style, that’s flinty and refined, but has no shortage of flavour, impact or length. Terrific.