FORREST CHARDONNAY 2023

Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"Aromas of lemon, peach, oat biscuit, toffee apple, toasted almonds, freshly ground spice and subtle nutty oak lead to a rich, weighty palate, balanced with a seamless acidity, ensuring longevity.

The grapes were machine harvested over a 7 day period, with 100% of the juice being put into new and older oak barriques for high solids primary and secondary malolactic fermentation prior to 10 month yeast autolysis maturation."

Reviews for previous vintages below…

5 Stars Michael Cooper (2021 Vintage)
"Showing surprising complexity and richness for a Chardonnay in its price range, the 2021 vintage was "formerly known as the John Forrest Collection Chardonnay". Pale gold, it is sturdy and savoury, with concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours, slightly buttery notes, balanced acidity and loads of personality. Drink now or cellar. Fine value."

Rated Excellent & 93/100 Cameron Douglas MS, May 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"A bold, distinctive and familiar alluring bouquet with scents of fresh and baked stone fruits, ripe citrus and layers of barrel spices and roasted nut. Toasty, spicy and new. Full-bodied with a core of satin textured stone fruit flavours, citrus and baked vanilla custard flavours. Toasty barrel delivers spice and complexity, acidity, roasted nut and core fruit flavours deliver breadth and depth. A delicious wine ready for drinking from late 2022 through 2028."

5 Stars & 18.5/20 (93) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, May 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Bright, straw-yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is gently-full and growing in stonefruit, citrus aromas, intermixed savoury lees and spice underlay. Full-bodied, peach and nectarine entwined with grapefruit, buttery nuance unfold, along with mealy autolysis and sweet oak spices. The fruit possesses gentle intensity and complexity with balanced, ripe acidity. Fine-textured phenolics and minerals provide a textural mouthfeel, flowing with good energy to a long, crisp finish. Match with roasted chicken with confit garlic and pork chops over the next 5-7 years. Fermented and aged in oak, 14% alc."

4 ½ Stars Yvonne Lorkin, May 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Golden in the glass and dishing up delicious aromas of grilled grapefruit, roast nectarine, a burst of butterscotch and a dusting of almond, this chardonnay is fresh, frisky, fulsome and laced with pineapple and cinnamon. Generously proportioned and juicy from sip to swallow, it’s got great energy, vibrancy and toasty stamina on the finish. Very nice indeed."