Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2017

Vasse Felix Chardonnay is typified by its bright, elegant fruit, subtle wild complexities and a tight acid structure, reflecting the vibrancy and purity of this variety in Margaret River. 'Filius' translates to 'son of' in Latin, reflecting the relationship between this wine and its premier 'father'.

About the Vineyard

2017 was a cooler and later vintage than the previous 10 years; a year of elegant, perhaps slightly lighter bodied wines, though ripe in flavour, vibrant and very perfumed. Higher than average yields in combination with a cooler season contributed to delayed ripening of the fruit and good acid retention. Some timely warmth and sunshine occurred throughout January, although February temperatures remained moderate with some rainfall. With the cooler weather, canopy management and fruit thinning was imperative to mitigate disease pressures and allow for even, persistent ripening. There was a warm start to March to finish the white harvest, followed by the driest April since 1982, finishing the reds beautifully.

Wine Production

All parcels were treated in respect of the unique qualities coming from each of our vineyard sites; natural fermentation with varying solids levels, fine French Oak and battonage programs were tailored to each individual batch. Following 8 months of maturation in oak (French Oak Barrique, 15% New, 85% 1-5 year old), the parcels of vibrant fruit and elegant fruit weight with complexity, were combined to create a unique varietal Chardonnay from Margaret River. For the second year in a row, we underwent MLF due to high acidity at harvest.

Tasting Notes

Bright pale straw colour. Light notes of pineapple, grapefruit and crunchy nectarine purity provide a bright fruit base. French oak and time on yeast lees contribute delicious secondary layers of ginger, vanilla biscuit, almond meal and lemon curd. The palate is light and fine, in touch with delicate citrus flavour, a hint vanilla biscuit and a zesty polished acid tang. It delivers a spotless palate that evokes a mouth-watering, river stone dryness coupled to a fine savoury, silky texture.

Vineyard & Production Info

Vineyard name:

selected sites throughout Margaret River

Soil composition:

deep gravel loam soil over clay

Training method:

VSP

Exposure:

N-S

Year vineyard planted:

1998

Average Vine Age:

20

Harvest time:

Late Feb - Early Mar 17

First vintage of this wine:

2013 under Filius label

Winemaking & Aging

Prefermentation technique:

Whole Berries Air Bag Press following 5 hours skin contact

Fermentation container:

Barriques

Malolactic fermentation:

Partial

Fining agent:

Vegan

Type of aging container:

Barriques

Size of aging container:

225L

Age of aging container:

15% New, 85% 1-5 year old

Type of oak:

French

Length of aging before bottling:

8 months

Length of bottle aging:

6 months

Analytical Data

Alcohol:

12.5 %

pH level:

3.3

Residual sugar:

0.7 g/L

Acidity:

6.3 g/L

Dry extract:

22.0 g/L

Total SO2:

142.0 mg/L