Invitational M2 Chardonnay 2022
LIMITED LIBRARY RELEASE! For the holiday season, we are releasing very limited quantities of a few library wines. Get them while you can!
The vibrant, precise poise of Mount Barker (Chatsfield Vineyard; Gingin clone) and the powerful plushness of Margaret River (Victory Point Vineyard; Gingin, 96, 76, and 277 clones) are united in Duke's Vineyard M2 Chardonnay. The tiny parcels were fermented with wild and selected yeasts in French oak (23% new) and aged on lees for 10 months. The wine has elegance and richness, with juicy ripe fruit extending to a mineral finish of great creamy texture. 253 cases made. 750ml.
GREEN MELON • RED APPLE SKIN • FRESH OATS
Accolades
94 points, Wine Pilot
This is a combination of Margaret River and Mount Barker fruit. Seems to have the power of Margaret River with the 30% contribution. The remaining 70% comes off the old Chatsfield vineyard, providing the precise linear structure around which the weight of Margaret River completes the palate.
91 points, Halliday Wine Companion
This is 70% from Mount Barker and 30% from Margaret River. It sees around 23% new French oak for maturation. Mellow and supple expression, lightly honeyed, ripe citrus fruit characters, cinnamon spice, toasty elements, bell-ring clear acidity shot through it all. Easy drinking in its way, quite generous but with freshness on its side. Lively. Perhaps a touch diffuse in fruit character, but forgivable in its overall amplitude.
Appearance: pale yellow hay with green gold edges
Aroma: bright lifted golden delicious apple skin, lemon curd, green mango, pawpaw skin, daffodil, honey dew melon, complex yellow ripe fruit
Palate: lemon lime, fresh papaya, green melon, round rich, juicy, finely balanced palate, mouthfilling, bright mineral acidity, green granny smith apple, crab apple, creamy yet light and lithe with elements of Chantilly cream and vanilla pod
Cool wet winter with a very high rainfall followed by a warm to hot and dry summer. The vines grew quickly, developing excellent canopies. Delayed bud burst, which affected flowering, gave lower yields. Canopies were hand tended with fruit dropped where necessary, but balance was excellent. Hand harvesting was highly selective with sorting in vineyard, but fruit was clean with excellent ripeness. All clones had very complex aromatics and flavours with bright acidities. This was a cool vintage that allowed slow development of complex characters and beautiful acidities.
A mineral driven chardonnay that combines the vibrant precise poise of Mount Barker (Chatsfield Vineyard, planted 2002; dry grown Gingin clone, sandy clay loam soils) with the lush powerful plushness of Margaret River (Victory Point Vineyard, planted 2000; dry grown Gingin, 96, 76, 277 clones, ), we unite these as M2.
Hand picked, refrigerated, whole bunch pressed cold using a gentle press cycle. These tiny parcels were fermented with wild and selected yeasts in French oak (23% new, balance 2yr; 300L hogsheads, 228L barriqiues) and aged on lees (yeast solids) for 10 months. The wine has elegance and richness, with juicy ripe fruit extending to a mineral finish of great creamy texture. Blended with minimal fining and minimal filtration, it was bottled in February 2023. Released May 2023.
- Vintage 2022
- Alcohol 12.4%
- Type White Wine
- Vineyard Chatsfield Vyd, Mt Barker and Victory Point Vyd, Margaret River
- Varietal Chardonnay
- Bottling date February 2023
- Region Western Australia
- Sub-region Mt Barker and Margaret River
- Residual sugar <2 g/l
- pH 3.25
- Acidity 7.4 g/l