Eden Valley Chardonnay

Enjoy with mustard and white wine braised chicken with a side of steamed greens.

Winter in the Eden Valley was warmer than usual with the mean minimum temperature several degrees higher than average and the rainfall consistently lower. Slightly higher than average rainfall from November through to harvest in February and March allowed the vines to maintain good canopies and ensured even ripening and fresh fruit flavours. The continued mild weather throughout summer, combined with cool nights, helped to develop lovely fruit flavours and a natural sugar/acid balance in the final wine.

Over 80% of the blend was fermented and matured in new and 1-2 year old fine grained French barriques to add weight and texture, with the balance of the wine fermented in stainless steel to retain fruit freshness and vibrancy in the final blend.

Capitalising on our experience and success with growing the original Burgundian clones in our family vineyards, plantings of these special clones in selected growers’ vineyards have now come of age for this blend. The finer flavours produced by these clones, in combination with the use of wild yeast fermentation, produce a more complex and elegant wine with rich creamy flavour and tangy acidity. Palate structure and texture is further enhanced through extended lees contact and regular lees stirring after completion of fermentation.

Over five generations members of the Hill-Smith family have been pioneers in locating exceptional vineyard sites that maximise the personality of their wines. Since the wine was released in 1980 Hill-Smith Estate Sauvignon Blanc has been recognized as one of Australia’s finest Sauvignon Blancs. Our Chardonnays from the Adelaide Hills and Eden Valley are contemporary wines crafted from fruit cultivated in premium Chardonnay growing regions. These wines honour the contribution that Wyndham Hill-Smith OBE (1909 - 1989) made to wine sport and life in Australia. A talented amateur artist Wyndham painted the front label landscape scenes on all three wines. Well known as a cricketer Wyndham Hill-Smith both shared the crease with Bradman and faced Larwood at his peak. He was a keen thoroughbred owner with more than 500 race wins and well recognised as a generous host and charming raconteur. Importantly Wyndham oversaw in the 1960s and ’70s the innovative return of viticulture from the floor of the Barossa Valley to the cooler climes of the high altitude Barossa ranges known as Eden Valley. In these conditions finesse elegance and understated power replace the robust and earthy style of the lower altitudes.