2018 Tiers Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Hand-harvested on 26 March and chilled to 2 °C before being whole-bunch pressed using an airbag press. After brief settling, the juice was transferred to French Vosges oak barriques (one-third new, the remainder one and two years old) for fermentation, using ambient yeasts. No malolactic conversion. The wine remained on full lees until it was racked in January 2019, then bottled in early March. TA 7.5 g/l, pH 3. Interesting evolution here – not toasty or cedary but showing an added roundness, still with pure citrus, even if the fruit is not as sweet-tasting as the 2023 – though, apparently, 2018 was a warm vintage. Deep, mouth-filling fruit balanced by bright acidity. Ageing well. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Pale polished-brass in hue, the 2018 Chardonnay offers up scents of grilled toast and citrus fruit. It's classic Chardonnay, with enough French oak to define it, lees contact to enrich the medium-bodied palate and a long, lemon-lime curd finish. Despite the warmth of the season, it's bright, crisp and mouthwatering.
There’s a very attractive, chalky edge here with a flinty note, as well as grapefruit pith and peaches. The palate has very assertive acidity, holding sway over white stone fruit and a long, dry and satisfytingly savory finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
The second warmest vintage after 2016 with warm nights, moderate days and very dry. 1,503 °C days of heat. Picked 26 March. 6,900 bottles. Quite firm and positive. Kumquat-bright fruit. Still very young. Very emphatic and relatively bumptious. Big and bold. (JR)