From the up and coming, newly established McWilliam vineyards on the Riverina, Hanwood Estate can proudly claim a conspicous win at
Chardonnay Du Monde France! The Hanwood district in particular, was an area that John James McWilliam had identified early in the twentieth century as offering best potential to service the burgeoning wine markets. Hanwood is one of the most consistently awarded Chardonnay at its price point and arguably, the most enduring, reliable range of approachable, stylish wines in Australia.
Plant a six inch nail in this soil, water it, and in a year you will have a crowbar. So said John James McWilliam when he arrived at Hanwood in 1913. The development of Riverina as a major wine producing area was primarily due to the foresight of the McWilliam family. Rich, fertile soils and warm temperatures make Riverina ideally suited to viticulture. Chardonnay is harvested throughout the cool of night, crushed and settled. A combination of French oak vinification and controlled fermenters retains vitality and abundant fruit character, a course of malolactic and a term of several months repose on sedimentery lees infuses texture and richness into the finished wine. Alcohol 13.5%
TASTING NOTESMedium straw, greenish hues. A lively, complex wine with white peach, guava and passionfruit expressions combining with creamy butterscotch of the oak. The essences carry through with ripe peach and nectarine, background oak characters of vanilla and butterscotch provide complexity while an acid backbone contributes structure. The finish is long, flavoursome and soft.