Robert Oatley Finisterre Mudgee Chardonnay 2011 (Mudgee, NSW)
12.6%, Screwcap, $32.99
Source: Tasting
www.robertoatley.com.au

I had an extensive look at the new premium Finisterre range from Robert Oatley over lunch the other week, with a full line-up of the new release wines open (including a few unreleased wines from the new, unreleased ‘Pennant’ range).

This Mudgee Chardonnay though, drawn from the famous old Craimoor AC1 block (which is now 40 years old), was easily my favourite white and generally one of my favourites of the wines. Mudgee Chardonnay gets a bit forgotten actually, as does the region as a whole for that matter, yet the best Chardonnays can be disctinctive and quite satisfying.

Handpicked and wild fermented in new and older French oak (where it spent 10 months in total), this carries a TA of 6.96 and a pH of 3.27 with an alcohol of 12.6%, figures suggesting that these are pretty healthily ripe grapes with great natural acidity (Mudgee can do that). The handling looks about right too, just enough oak without being too much.

Macadamia nuts, green melon and acidity. That’s this wine’s bent, with a lovely balance between creamy oak, a touch of creamy yeast richness and stony, tangy acidity. Great length of flavours and utterly Mudgee Chardonnay with nuts, whipped butter and more melons. Gentle, long and quite full flavoured this is very much a classic Mudgee wine that probably won’t appeal to the less-is-better Chardonnay fans, but should satisfy for years to come yet. Liked it.

Drink: 2013-2020
Score: 17.9/20 93/100
Would I buy it? Hmm. I think if I saw this on a list with a few more years on it then I’d have a bottle for sure.