Onannon 'Tuerong' Chardonnay 2023

It’s a ripper Chardonnay. Absolute top drawer. The length of it, wow. It tastes of white peach and nectarine, shells and lactose, hay and sweet cedar. But the tension here, the impression of power and the sheer length; this is quality with a hum to it. File this one under Excellent.

When it come to Chardonnay, for the unassuming rockstars, flavour is king. Looking for
grapefruit/pear spectrum when picking. Pressed straight to barrel/puncheon. Using just
one French Cooper now for Chardonnay. 100 MLF and lots of lees contact. Savouriness is the key, no added acid. Happy for phenolics and don’t fine ever.

“We are looking for ripe fruit in the grapefruit/pear spectrum when picking – always by hand. The fruit was pressed after being cooled in fridge overnight, allowed to oxidise (no SO2), and into barrel for fermantation. Post primary ferment we allowed the wine to go through 100% malaolactic fermentation and stirred occasionaly during maturation. 33% New French oak for about 10 months. No fining.” - Will Byron, Onannon

“Trademark Onannon/Tuerong flint and cashew is what you notice first on the nose, but look further and you’ll find white florals, seaspray/seaweed and a minerality you expect more with a wine from chalky soil. More those oceanic characters are apparent on the edges of the palate, whilst the middle is dominated by pithy grapefruit. Crunchy, spiced tinged acid pushes the wine out into some very impressive length”
- Mark Williamson & Sam Hooper, CellarHand