Margaret River taste-off – Fraser Gallop ‘Parterre’ vs Domaine Naturaliste ‘Artus’ Chardonnays

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

My mate Leigh celebrated his birthday by hosting a vertical tasting for friends and family. The wines were Fraser Gallop’s ‘Parterre’ and Domaine Naturaliste ‘Artus’ chardonnays. Personally, I have been buying the Parterre every year for over a decade, but I am less familiar with the Artus.

The premise for the tasting was well considered and inventive – both wines have similar oak regimes to each other year on year, and obviously come from the same region. The major difference is that the Artus goes through malolactic fermentation, whereas (generally) the Parterre does not. The wines were tasted blind in pairs (same vintage) and the game was for tasters to identify which wine was which in each pair. We tasted all vintages from 2016 to 2022, and the group was surveyed after each pair of wines for their preference on the day. We were also able to look at vintage variation as it affected both wines.

Departing from my usual practice of describing each wine, I provide some common features of each wine, and only point out vintage differences. I’m also not going to comment on colour, as it was an outdoor evening event.

Fraser Gallop Parterre Chardonnay
Common features across vintages:
• Relatively high acid, probably more apparent due to no malo,
• Lots of citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit, as compared to stone fruits),
• Perceptible but not overpowering oak, with modest tannic grip,
• Lower on sulphides than the Artus,
• Time on lees is apparent in the final wine,
• Generally, longer finish,
• Likely to be longer lived than its Artus counterpart. Personal experience indicates that 12 years is not out of the question for the better vintages. Even the 2016 (the oldest wine in the tasting) still has 4 or more years ahead of it.

Vintage exceptions:
• 2018: The most ‘complete’ wine of the line-up, with some nectarine and cashew alongside the citrus,
• 2019: Oak is more savoury, and the acid is very prominent and a little sharp. This wine also underwent 50% malo to counter the cool season,
• 2021: Earlier drinking vintage, wit more tropical fruits in the mix,
• 2022: Softer and more restrained than previous vintages and shorter finish.

Domaine Naturaliste Artus Chardonnay
Common features across vintages:
• Apparently softer acid, as a result of malo, with some vintages showing yoghurt and corresponding slight sourness on the finish
• A blend of citrus and stone fruits,
• Sulphides (struck match character) more apparent,
• More apparent oak, and associated creamy mouth feel and some tannic grip. This is comparative, and the wines are not oak-dominant,
• Wines are peaking earlier, with 2016 and 2017 having peaked already. Again, this is relative, as many chardonnays don’t make it to 7-8 years of age. Older vintages were slightly darker than their Parterre counterparts as well.

Vintage exceptions:
• 2017: Long acid finish but fruit has faded. Drink before the 2016s,
• 2020: Possibly the best of the Artus for me. Good balance of oak, stone fruits and citrus, higher apparent acid, creamy mouthfeel and considerable length,
• 2021: Not too bad for the vintage, but still one of the lesser Artus. Struck match and pencil shavings featured,
• 2022: More citrus than earlier vintages, almost tangy. Well balanced.

From this tasting, some trends emerged. It became apparent that the Parterre is likely to age longer than the Artus, and was preferred for older vintages; however, many tasters preferred the Artus as a younger wine. Although the wines are made approximately to a house style each year, vintage variation comes into play, with the 2018 and 2020 vintages being generally preferred, and some vintages suffering (especially 2021) or varying from house style (Parterre 2019 and 2022).

By the way, I’m not sure if anyone actually guessed the correct wines for all 7 vintages – the differences between the wines seemed to narrow as the wines were younger (or maybe as the evening went on).

A fascinating and informative tasting. My profound thanks to Leigh and his family for hosting the event, and to all of us who provided additional bottles to look at after the ‘official’ tasting was completed.

Cheers
Allan

[Michael McNally]

Fascinating tasting Allan!

I have a couple of Artus in the cellar and always liked the Parterre when I have tasted it, usually as an older wine.

Much appreciated.

Cheers

Michael