Dry River Chardonnay

2019 Dry River Chardonnay

Though we had a fantastic summer and autumn, we experienced a little less heat compared to 2018. The 2019 wine is, therefore, more restrained, not so overt in the aromatics. Golden kiwi fruit and pineapple are toned back by chalk and wet stone with a cream-like edge. Lemon curd and lime sorbet keep the aromatics fresh and shy.

The palate mimics the nose, with a mineral focus and a tight acidity. This keeps the mouthfeel elongated, narrow and salivating. Twelve months in barrel and a further three months in tank, on lees, provides soft texture and movement filling out the mid-palate before the fresh acidity squeezes the wine in towards the back palate, making it long lingering.

Intense, powerful chardonnay with grapefruit, oyster-shell, root ginger, brioche and baguette crust flavours. Richly-textured with power and purity. A seamless wine with a lingering finish and the potential to develop well with bottle age. Drink 21 to 27. 96 Points.

Bob Campbell MW, May 2021

2018 Dry River Chardonnay

This is a wine we are very proud of.  Our Craighall Chardonnay is nearing the intensity and structure we so desire from the old Dry River plantings, which are in decline due to old age.  This is very promising to see, since for many years Dry River was so unique in its quality.  The warmth of the vintage has left its signature through complexity, restraint and approachability.

In our eyes it is what one can expect from a classic style of chardonnay; delicious, luscious. 

The wine is laced with soft tones of oak with almond meal, freshly baked croissant skin and pistachio nuts showing through.  The complexity of the individual aromatics are subtle, but rather overwhelming as a whole. It is cloaked with spices like coriander, cumin and caraway seeds, then fennel, nougat and cinnamon quill. 

The palate is seamless and focussed.  This is mainly resulting from a solid backbone of soft acidity coated with a creamy, velvety texture. Hints of popcorn and oak are quickly muted with an array of classic chardonnay flavours and a light buoyancy. It ticks all the boxes for us and the subtle style we would like to produce.

The drinking recommendation would be in the next five years, but feel confident to cellar up to ten years.

The 2018 Chardonnay is more approachable young than many vintages of this wine, reflecting a warm summer. Hints of toasted almond and nougat accent peach and pineapple notes on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is silky and fine but more generous than typical, with an appealing round plumpness that only tightens up a bit on the lingering, silky-textured finish.

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

2017 Dry River Chardonnay

In my opinion Chardonnay responds well to years with lower sunshine hours, as previously experienced in 2012.  I believe the typical Chardonnay characters we expect to see are conserved and the acidity retains its influence over shape and structure.  We picked both our Dry River Estate and Craighall vineyards in close succession, where normally we would have approximately one week between the two, with a very exciting result.

A melee of roasted Chestnuts, chalk and floral notes, are supplemented with biscotti, custard, peach and nectarine. Fresh lime sorbet and lemon blossom lift the aromatics to keep the nose playful. Thanks to a small proportion of Malo-Lactic conversion, the palate is evenly spread and transparent and gains some additional mouthfeel. With neither component dominant, the aromatic richness is effortlessly suppressed by either oak or the character stemming from extended maturation on lees. The focus is therefore multifaceted, shifting between acidity, texture and fruit in fast pace. White flesh peach, Braeburn apple and green kiwifruit, happily make way for salivating citrus fruit and silken creamy texture. An energetic back palate lifts the wine and allows for a long lingering finish.

Our Chardonnay evolves slowly in the cellar, expect this wine to reach good maturity after three to five years.

This has a very impressive sense of restraint from the get-go with lemon-infused nectarines and a grilled-hazelnut overlay. The palate has a crisp and mouthwatering core of bright, crunchy melon, green peaches and subtly spicy oak. Nicely crafted and really taut. Drink or hold.

James Suckling, October 2018

2016 Dry River Chardonnay

The variances each vintage offers, will favour each variety in a different way.  And every year will call upon an altered approach to managing both the vine and wine.  Mostly, these are subtle changes.  I believe over the last four years we have entered a new paradigm in our approach to Chardonnay without alienating far from our traditional style.

A formidable straw golden, light yellow colour introduces this wine.  I have to go back to the 2009 when the wine expressed a similar soft and creamy nose, layered with almond nougat, ripe pineapple and golden kiwi fruit.  The wine is kept opulent and energetic with hints of freshly crushed thyme and lemon rind.  Extended time on lees, 15 months, helped to develop brioche and crème caramel like characters with added texture and weight.

A softly coated acidity allows the wine to move over the palate in a gentle matter, deceptively masking the linear and postured nature due to interaction with other textural components.  The scope and depth of flavour effortlessly captivates interest by initially showcasing almond croissant, Beurre Bosc pears and barely noticeable toast, presumably from the oak barrels.  Since little Malo-lactic acid conversion happens with this wine a lemon sorbet character allows for a long finish.  Enjoy this wine after two to five years for optimal drinking pleasure.

All barrel-fermented but in only 15% new wood, with partial malolactic, the 2016 Chardonnay kicks off with subtle notes of whole wheat toast and hints of caramelized pineapple. It’s medium-bodied, with a silky texture and a smoky note that lingers on the long, citrusy finish. It should drink well for another 5-6 years, possibly longer.

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate.

2015 Dry River Chardonnay

To our memory this is one of the more approachable Chardonnays we have produced so far.  The small cropping levels we experienced did not necessarily produce a more intense wine, on the contrary, maturity was slowed down due to weather induced stress.  These vintage circumstances formed softer tannins with a more ?open? and friendly phenolic structure.

A bright apple flesh colour reflects the early life stage of the wine.  At first the creamy lees character supresses the aromatic profile of the wine and might be a reflection of time spent on full solids in barrel.  With time in the glass the wine is sure to show tropical fruit characters like persimmon, pineapple and nectarines.  By now almonds and brioche make their presence with coconut faintly in the background, paying respect to the oak.

The wine carries sufficient weight forming a stout and broad mouthfeel whilst it spreads consistently over the palate.  This remarkable strength subdues the acidity creating an all-round experience.  The ripe fruit is visible mostly on the back palate in the sense of white peach and nectarine, complemented by nougat and almonds. 

In its youth we recommend to open this wine well before consumption, allowing time to breathe, or be sure to decant.  Our Chardonnay tends to evolve for another three to five years, but can be cellared longer for those with patience.

2005 Dry River Amaranth Chardonnay

The term ‘Amaranth’ denotes a wine which appears to be of particular interest for cellaring – it is not intended as a quality comment. The wine is bright, green-gold with a powerful nose showing both delicate florals and firm grapefruit aromas followed by lemon pith and hints of apricot kernels. The palate is structured, has well supported acid, a mid-palate richness and old fashioned drinkability. Grapefruit and lemon pith flavours are dominant along with a medley of stone fruit, crushed nuts and a minerality which seems to be the hallmark of our Chardonnays.