Stonier Merricks Chardonnay 2024

95 POINTS - Jane Faulkner
"As with the Merricks pinot noir, this takes fruit off the three disparate sites along Thompsons Lane. It's highly perfumed with lavender, lemon blossom and ginger flower, too. The palate is layered, textural and feels flush with citrus and white stone fruit, ginger and cedary oak spice (not much, just enough as a seasoning). A light layer of lees adds a creaminess and the fine acidity drives this to a long finish."

The Merricks Chardonnay opens with inviting aromas of lemon curd and cashew, underpinned by a subtle suggestion of wet stone and flint. On the palate, it exemplifies the modern Australian style of Chardonnay—combining drive, power, and balanced oak integration. It offers a vibrant expression of yellow citrus fruits, with its depth and intensity reflecting the old vine heritage of the fruit.

Sourced exclusively from vineyards along Thompsons Lane in Merricks, all within 2km of the winery and estate vineyard, the fruit comes from vines over 30 years old. Originally planted and continually farmed by Stonier, these vineyards share a distinct flavour profile that aligns closely with the estate site and has long contributed to the character of the winery’s finest Chardonnays.

In the winery, fruit is handpicked and cooled overnight in small crates to avoid premature crushing. A portion of the fruit (25%) is foot-stomped before pressing, enhancing solids for fermentation. A precise press cut is made at around 570 L/T, separating the free-run juice from the pressings. The free-run juice is lightly settled for less than 12 hours, then transferred to 500 L French oak puncheons (18% new) for wild fermentation. The wine undergoes gentle lees stirring (battonage) towards the end of ferment, with 20% of the blend completing malolactic fermentation. After maturing through winter, it is blended in December, followed by a coarse filtration and bottling, capturing the wine's power, precision, and freshness.