Picardy Chardonnay 2011

[Waiters Friend]

G'day

I've been a fan of this Pemberton producer for some time, especially their chardonnay and pinot noir.

This chardonnay appears quite developed (yellow approaching gold) for a three year old. There is a rich and complex nose, with nectarine, peach and a touch of citrus / grapefruit, accompanied by some subtle cedary oak.

The palate shows ripe nectarine and peach, some drying tannins and a rich buttery flavour and mouthfeel. There's a lot going on here, and the wine definitely holds your interest.

The wine is at 14 degrees and I am glad it has only had a short amount of fridge time. I buy a few of this wine each year, and I'm glad I went back for more - this is the best vintage of this wine in the last 5 years.

Cheers

Allan

[Waiters Friend]

I still have a couple of these left (now one less). The colour has hardly deepened in the past 3 years, and the previous tasting note largely remains intact. This surprises me greatly - although I wasn't expecting the wine to be falling over, I did not expect it to 'plateau' as it has. It's still balanced and complex, and a great (possibly the best) example of Pemberton chardonnay.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

Another look at this wine two years on from the last update (I must get better at this!). After stating nearly two years ago that the wine has plateaud, well, the evidence remains in front of me. Yellow approaching gold in colour, but no signs of browning. The nectarine and peach remain, as does the slight buttery character. It's kept fresh by acid and the citrus notes, and really has not shifted very much in 5 years.

A vertical tasting would be very interesting indeed. I have the 2017 vintage on its way to me now.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

Too late, I'm afraid. The 2011 is now past it - sherry, browning, and slightly oxidised. Not the wine's fault - I just left it too long.

If you have some, I hope you have better luck