Snake + Herring Hallelujah Chardonnay 2012 (Porongurup, Great Southern, WA)
12.5%, Screwcap, $38
Or such.
This took a little while for me to get my head around, but I’m glad I held on to the bottle – Day 2 it was in a very good spot.
Quite an obvious sulphide funk on the nose and into the palate finishing blinding and bracing. At first I thought that acid + funk might be too separate to be loveable.
The more you taste of this, however, the more clever it looks – that acidity is excellent and utterly natural. The sulphides dissolve into the wine after a while too.
I really like this. It needs time, sure, but so much about this Chardonnay is applaudable.
Source: Sample
Tasted: May 2014
Drink: 2014-2017
Score: 17.7/20, 92/100+
Would I buy it? Yes. But only for drinking in 12 months time. Lots of intrigue bubbling under the surface.
2 Comments
Having one tonight and still very fresh, a bit of funk and sulphide gives complexity. Lots of Chardonnay spice with a touch of vanilla oak. Lots of length. Just shows you Porongorup Chardonnay don’t die early. That fresh acidity has kept it all together. Still some time left. Lovely complexity with freshness.
Great that it’s held up so well.