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Joshua Cooper

2019

‘Captain’s Creek Vineyard’

Chardonnay   |   Pyrenees - Australia

About

The Captains Creeks Vineyard is situated in Blampied, six miles west of Daylesford, and thus just outside the Macedon Ranges GI. The vineyard is farmed by Doug and Carolyn May, planted in the friable basalt loam of the property in 1994 and certified organic since 1996. The vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on a raised well-drained northerly slope, at around 1,650 feet in altitude. Due to the cool, windy nature of the site, the fruit typically ripens at a low sugar level, with small berries, thick skins and with a high proportion of millerandange and hen and chicken. 2019 was a warm, but really even vintage with very healthy bunches and an ideal balance of sugar to acid in the grapes.

Once hand harvested in the cool of morning, with carful sorting in the vineyard, the grapes are partially foot crushed then very gently, slowly pressed over four or so hours. The juice was then settled for 24 hours then racked with all but the very coarse solids to three Burgundian piece, and a single second passage Stockinger thick staved 600L demi-muid. The wine sees one year in oak on full lees, no stirring, and no racking, then transferred to stainless steel with all the fine lees for a further four months élevage. Before racking and bottling, unfined and unfiltered. The only addition to the wine is a small dose of sulfur the week before bottling.

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
  • Vineyard: Captain's Creek Vineyard
  • Vine Age: 25-years-old
  • Soil Type: Red basalt loam with pulverized quartz
  • Viticulture: Certified Organic
  • Fermentation: Native – whole-bunch pressed to three seasoned French barriques and one second-use 600L Stockinger demi-muid
  • Skin Contact: None - just at the press
  • Aging: 12 months in three third passage Burgundy pièce and one second passage Stockinger 600mL demi-muid followed by four months in stainless steel
  • Total SO2: 35 ppm
  • Total Production: 130 cases

Tasting Note

It’s skeletal, laser-focused and mesmerising to drink. Flavor and aromas of lemon curd, citrus, oatmeal and stoney minerality. It’s still tight and refreshing, less so than other ’19s from Josh, but also possesses a juiciness that makes it very easy to enjoy young.

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