Woine Toime: TASTING 01: Aust Chardonnay

Awfull weather didn't deter us from the inaugural Wine Toime wine tasting.

The wines have their tasting order numbers, and are listed here according to group popularity with brief tasting notes from various sources:

1. Sticks Chardonnay 2004 - WINNER
Brilliant light straw with vibrant green hues. Stone fruit of nectarine and peach are complimented by savoury oak. Clean and dry with tropical fruit and crisp finish. Under $20 represents good value as well.

4. Picardy Chardonnay 2004
Limey, minerally nose, a hint of nectarine and just a whiff of oak sweetness this is stellar Chardonnay. Smooth but light, full of grapefruit and nuts, hints of ash and it has great length and consistent intensity. Elegant and finishes dry. It exhibits a challenging complexity and is absolutely up there with the best from Australia. Very nice. Around $30.

6. Kooyong Estate Chardonnay 2003
Brilliant, deep straw colour with pale gold hue. Aroma of toasted oak, yeast lees, hazelnut and biscuit, showing a good secondary flavour profile. Creamy
palate texture, with dry, secondary flavours dominant. Flavours of almond and roast hazelnut over a layer of grapefruit and yeast lees. BIG Smoky oak background. Clean finish. Aftertaste of honeycomb, hazelnut and lees. $40

3. Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay 2004
Generous peach, melon and apple flavours are complimented with a delicate application of toasty French oak and just a whisper of buttery malolactic influence. It’s fullbodied, without being ‘blousey’. Finishes soft and creamy - but tight, thanks to a crisp acid backbone. Distinct. Around $25.

2. Annie's Lane Chardonnay 2004
The wine is mid straw with green hues, displaying aromas of peaches, nectarines and melon fruits. Flavours are lively and varietal with up-front fruit weight and complex oak derived characters. The medium bodied palate finishes with excellent length. Basically a childrens wine, very user-friendly. Around $20

5. Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2004
The complex and a touch volatile nose speaks of quality with varying scents of ripe peaches with subtle citrus fruit aromas smoky, nutty oak. Full, but not over the top, its richly flavoured palate shows good integration and complexity with melon, peach and nut flavours, on a creamy textured palate. Around $20.