Winery: Howling Wolves
Region: Margaret River
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Your Wine Guy says:
Only 665 cases made. The colour is beautiful light gold with hints of green. The aroma is a wonderful complex blend of lemon, lime, mango and some nectarine. The oak is now really well integrated bringing toasted cashew, butterscotch and a hint honey to the bouquet. The palate is full bodied and rounded, displaying finely balanced natural acidity and a weighty structure. An abundance of flavour fills the mouth and it finishes long and clean with a creamy mouthfeel and notes of butterscotch, vanilla and toasted oak. Made from 100% Margaret River Chardonnay.
94 Points YWG Drink to 2015
Critics say:
Glowing yellow-green; a classic example of chardonnay made to be enjoyed two or three years after vintage; generous nectarine and peach flavours are framed by good acidity and a touch of oak, all in balance. Screwcap.
92 Points James Halliday Wine Companion
The winemaker says:
Colour: Pale straw
Nose: Attractive aromas of vanilla bean, white flowers and citrus with a touch of hazelnut and peaches and cream.
Palate: The warm 2007 vintage has afforded a chardonnay which is elegant with a luscious moderate weight and a long endearing finish with balancing, crisp natural acidity and an underlying mineral feel.– Howling Wolves Wines
This release is made from Margaret River Chardonnay from the prestigious Wildberry Springs vineyard. It’s a wine made for the long haul with intense white peach, almond meal and stone fruit aromas overlaying some interesting wild ferment and cap gun notes. The palate is richly flavoured with intense fruit, attractive toasty oak and great acid drive. The wine displays complexity, freshness, richness and great persistence of flavour. A quality wine made from a quality vineyard. Enjoy for 5+ years.
The grapes were machine harvested late February and early March. The juice was cold settled and racked at varying turbidities, inoculated with selected yeasts then sent to barrel. Fermentation was in 25% new French oak and the balance one year old French oak and was stirred on lees fortnightly for around eight months. Malolactic fermentation was conducted with 30% of the wine to soften and lengthen the palate. The wine was then transferred from barrel to tank before being cold stabilised and filtered for bottling.– Howling Wolves Wines
Winery Information:
The majority of vineyard blocks contributing fruit for Howling Wolves are bordered by towering eucalypt trees that influence the grapes to develop distinctive qualities which are a trademark of Margaret River.
Howling Wolves retain access to some of the finest parcels of fruit in Willyabrup. Grapes are harvested from blocks which have been earmarked on the basis of strong varietal definition and refined tannins, to a schedule determined by full physiological ripeness.
“Howling Wolves has been founded on a philosophy of producing only premium, ‘Varietally correct’ wines, for truly outstanding value, at our state-of-the-art winery in the world renowned Margaret River region of Western Australia. We harvest only the luscious superb quality fruit from Margaret River and make each wine, soft approachable and ready to open and enjoy now. Always knowing that you’ll never be ‘howling’ over the price.” – Howling Wolves Wines
|