Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine chardonnay 2023

This vineyard really does turn out some quite distinctive chardonnays, and this is certainly an excellent example. It was hand-picked and then whole-cluster pressed before the juice was racked off for barrel fermentation. In the end, it was matured for about 9 months in 40% new oak, and yet this is not an excessively oaky wine. The nose has a sort of lime, pear, and vanillin character, while the palate has a vibrant, crunchy oyster shell textural minerality with just a flick of citrus on the finish. It's an excellent wine, drinking beautifully now but with some cellaring potential.