864 Funder & Diamond Drive Block Chardonnay 2021

Retail:

Lifted aromas of white nectarines, nashi, pink grapefruit, white flowers and crushed stone. Simultaneously concentrated and elegant, the pure, mineral-inflected palate is deliciously long.

Wine Details

Region Yarra Valley

State Victoria

Wine Type White Wine

Variety Type Chardonnay

Alcohol Percentage 13.5%

Background

Our 864 range features exceptional wines from specific and single blocks, produced in small quantities and released in only the best years. An Oakridge 864 wine is terroir-driven. Made to demonstrate the importance of time and place with every bottle, and always a tribute to tradition, these wines are ready to drink now or cellar.

Tasting Notes

Pale straw with light green hues. An intense and complex opening with aromas of white flowers, nectarine, green apple and grapefruit but also complexity derived from solid fermentation in barrel with flint, burnt matches and just a hint of vanilla pod from the 20% new French puncheons. The palate is powerful and muscular but clearly defined. The stone fruit characters are joined with lemon and lime citrus characters which drive the acidity and elongate the wine giving incredible persistence of flavour. ‘Al dente’ phenolics are cleverly used to provide weight and volume without sacrificing the glassy texture, sense of purity or shape, and so leads to a pleasing long dry, savoury finish.

Vineyard Notes

Funder & Diamond vineyard, Drive Block. North facing at 240 metres above sea level. Close planted in the red volcanic soil of Wandin East in 1990 using the P58 clone and cropped at 6.5t/Ha.

Winemaker's Notes

All grapes were hand harvested and sorted prior to whole bunch pressing directly to French oak puncheons for natural fermentation, 20% of the barrels being new. Post-fermentation, the wine was matured on its fermentation lees for 10 months in barrel followed by a further 6 months in tank prior to bottling after a single filtration.

Vintage Notes

A long, cool vintage with abundant rainfall and very low cropping levels has resulted in wine great purity and a high level of natural acidity. Flowering occurred in late October, fruit set in December and harvest on March 15th 12.0° baume.

Awards

Title 2023 Halliday Chardonnay Challenge

Description Best of Region / Top Gold

Title 2024 Halliday Wine Companion

Rating 98 / 100

Product Reviews (1)

Halliday Wine Companion - 98pts

“From the Funder and Diamond vineyard, planted in Wandin East with the P58 clone in 1990. Hand picked and whole-bunch pressed to French puncheons (20% new) for fermentation and 10 months’ maturation before another six months in tank. A bright, pale green gold. Another truly great, albeit restrained release, with piercing aromas of white nectarines, nashi, pink grapefruit, white flowers and crushed stone. Simultaneously concentrated and elegant, the pure, mineral-inflected and chalky palate is painfully long. Still just a baby, this might just be the best and possibly the most long-lived Oakridge 864 Chardonnay yet. Another feather in the cap for David Bicknell, the Australian chardonnay maestro.” – Philip Rich