Scarborough Yellow Label Chardonnay 2007

Scarborough Yellow Label Chardonnay 2007 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
$21, Screwcap, 13.5%
Source: Sample
www.scarboroughwine.com.au

Scarborough Chardonnay

Most Sydneysiders don't really need an introduction to this wine. For those unfortunate to live outside the harbour city, the Scarby Yellow Label (as it's known) is something of an institution, with a passionate fan club that drink it by the caseload.

Personally, I can clearly remember buying a late 90's vintage of this very wine on my first ever Hunter Valley wine trip (many moons ago) and a bottle of the White Label Chardonnay currently resides on my wine rack. So me and Scarby Yellow have quite a bit of history (so forgive me if I bang on a bit).

Oh and on the topic, if you are ever in the Hunter do pop into Scarborough for one of the better cellar door experiences in the Valley.

Onto the wine: Straw yellow in the glass, this leads off with a nose of Peach marmalade, a whiff of toasty/marshmallow wood, orange and passionfruit on the nose (I'm feeling specific today). It's a reasonably opulent nose, but wound up in typical Scarborough 'give-it-a-year-or-two' style. Palate is attractive and warm, with peachy vanillan characters sitting large through the middle before a warm and dry finish. The secret here is all about the generous mid palate, which is, year-in-year-out, this wines most attractive feature. Plenty to come with further bottle age too (these drink best at about 5 years of age in my experience).

Bighearted, warm and rich (though not fat) Chardonnay in a very Hunter (warm year) mould, the attraction here is not about delicacy, it's all about the munificent flavours. Good stuff. 17.1/90+