2016 Dawson James, Tasmania Chardonnay, 6x750ml

2016 Dawson James, Tasmania Chardonnay, 6x750ml

2016 Dawson James, Tasmania Chardonnay

Joint project of Peter Dawson and Tim James, their Chardonnay has bright lemon and grapefruit with flinty notes on the nose, tightly woven citrus and minerally characters on the palate.

Availability: In stock

Case size: 6 / Bottle size: 750ml

Duty Status
From £170.00

Critics Score: 96

Publication: David Bicknell, James Halliday's Wine Companion

Pale quartz-green and bright. Intentions clearly stated with complex array of white flowers, nectarine, melon skin and grapefruit bound together with yeast, sulphide and judicious use of 40% new oak. The palate has on-point acidity that enhances the flavours and draws the wine out to a satisfying long finish. Nothing out of place, everything present. Very good.

2016 Dawson James, Tasmania Chardonnay

Dawson James is the project of Peter Dawson and Tim James, who met in 1976 when they were both working at Hardy & Sons, and where they continued to work alongside each other for 20 years. They have since moved on to different projects, including Willunga 100 in McLaren Vale for Tim, but have collaborated again to produce the Dawson James wines in Tasmania. Their shared passion for Australian art, farming, camping and gastronomy, as well as their dedication to fine Australian wine, have combined in this exciting project, and the wines are the proof of their winemaking wisdom and enthusiasm. The single vineyard wines are made around 60 kilometres north-west of Hobart, an area characterised by rugged topography and the fast flowing, pristine waters of the Derwent river.

The Meadowbank Vineyard is located in the Derwent Valley in southern Tasmania, and was planted in 1989. The site is 70 metres above the river level and the north-easterly aspect gives it optimal sunlight exposure for grape ripening. The soil is a combination of brown sandy loams over structured clays and sandstone rock. It has a devigorating nature, helping the balanced growth and structure of the vines. Vines are trellised to single cordon and managed to one bunch per shoot, and yields are kept at less than six tonnes per hectare.

Grapes were hand picked and whole bunch pressed. Free run juice was transferred to oak sourced from Burgundian cooperages. Primary fermentation took place in oak, 40% of which was new. This was followed by partial malolactic fermentation. The wine remained in oak and on its lees for nine months with fortnightly stirring.

Spring and summer were dry, with less rainfall than usual and the mean daily temperature 1.5°C above the long term average. These conditions favoured a good fruit set and vineyard yields were above average. Despite the warmer ripening period, there was no significant heat spikes and the grapes could retain freshness and acidity. The grapes were hand-picked on 9th March, the earliest harvest date since the project began.