Wine of the Week – Mitchelton 2018 Preece Yarra Valley Chardonnay

2018 Preece Chardonnay
Shonagh Walker

Lifestyle Writer

May 14, 2021

Preece Yarra Valley 2018 Chardonnay is the perfect Autumnal drop. With its stunning pale straw and vivid green hues, it entices with hints of grapefruit, citrus blossom and ripe stone fruit, as well as mealy, flinty and spicy notes.

2018 Preece Yarra Valley Chardonnay Palate

The palate unfurls with fresh flavours of nectarine, white peach and cut flowers, built along with crisp acid backbone and textured mouthfeel.

Vineyard Fruit for the 2018 Preece Yarra Valley Chardonnay has been sourced from the Upper Yarra sub-region of Victoria’s famed Yarra Valley. At an altitude of over 300 metres above sea level, the diverse soil types and cool climate lend themselves to the gradual development of elegant and complex fruit flavours and integrated natural acid backbone.

Vintage Conditions for 2018 Preece Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Winter 2018 was cold, delivering a good dormancy for vines, and the rainfall leading into the season meant the soil’s moisture was replenished and the vines remained healthy.

The Winter and Spring rainfall leading into the 2018 season was excellent, with soil moisture’s replenished, and vines in excellent condition, while October through to December was warmer than average, but without peak temperatures causing any issues.

The flowering to fruit set period was quick, assisting in good berry numbers. The berry development and ripening period from December to March was dry, consequently there was little disease pressure. Preece 2018 yields were moderate, and the slow cool ripening was very even, delivering fruit with freshness and strong varietal flavours – making the 2018 Preece Yarra Valley Chardonnay a classic drop.

The Winemaking 

The fruit for the 2018 Preece Yarra Valley Chardonnay was harvested in the cool of the night with gentle draining and pressing aimed to preserve freshness and flavour. Following
a brief settling period, juice was racked to seasoned and new barrels for fermentation and maturation. A period of battonage was employed post fermentation to tease out additional complexity and texture into the finished wine. Following 10 months maturation on lees, barrels were carefully assessed to ensure balance of flavour was achieved in the final exquisite blend!


Pair it with

Winemaker Andrew Santarossa suggests sipping the 2018 Preece Yarra valley Chardonnay with John Dory with bacon, rosemary and lemon, as inspired by dishes from the menu at Muse restaurant at Mitchelton

About Mitchelton Preece Wines

The Preece Wines collection pay homage to the legacy of Mitchelton’s founding winemaker Colin Preece, also known as one of Australia’s masterful blenders. Embracing the fastidious approach and innovative flair that Colin Preece extolled throughout his highly decorated career, the Mitchelton winemakers’ creatively explore Victoria’s rich and diverse viticultural landscape and some of the best patchwork of exciting sub regions in search of highly expressive sites and the finest quality. Handcrafting a collection of fruit-forward varieties, the contemporary Preece wines herald an exciting new era of wine and viticultural exploration from this iconic Victorian winery.

Mitchelton wines are made from the vineyards on the Estate in Nagambie and also from the surrounding Heathcote region. We have a distinct variety of ranges, including Estate, Preece, The Bend, Heathcote Luxury and more. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

By Shonagh Walker

Lifestyle Writer

Shonagh Walker is a multi-award-winning lifestyle writer and author specialising in beauty, health, fashion, travel, pets and animals. Her career spans over 30 years, and she can't recall a day during that time, where she hasn't been excited to get to work!

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