2015 Ten Minutes by Tractor Estate Chardonnay

[Wizz]

I don't post here so much these days but I'm compelled to post this. Somehow I ended up with a few of these in the cellar, this is the last one. And wow, this is so good. This is the estate Chardonnay, sitting above the 10X range and below the Single Vineyard wines in the portfolio. At least in price anyway, I have this written down as $A44.

Pitch perfect. It has gained some colour for its few years rest. Almond meal and cracked wheat nose. All reserved, no fruit sowing until you take the first sip. An instant lemony tang here that starts on the front palate and re-emerges on the finish. Wheaty notes, creamy nougat like textures and flavours too, peach and honeydew melon before the lemon acid line and pulpy phenolics on the finish. Crisp and clean, beautifully balanced and has gained something from a couple of years rest. Tip top. Outstanding wine.

Cheers

Andrew

[ticklenow1]

I really think the good Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula Chardonnays are as good as anything in the country the last 5 years or so. I have stocked up on particularly Yarra Valley examples the last few years.

Cheers
Ian

[Michael McNally]

Ended up buying far more Mornington Chardonnay than i planned on my recent (AUG 2019) visit. Brillint wines. I was blown away across the board by the quality of the Chardonnay on the penninsula. The Pinot Noir was pretty good too by the way.....

I picked up a couple of botlles fom 10 x. Great cellar door depite the fire a couple of years ago.

Cheers

Michael

[Rory]

2015,faultless vintage on the Peninsula... if you didnt produce amongst your best, somethings wrong.
Much like 2004, 2005, 20210.

[Dragzworthy]

Ended up buying far more Mornington Chardonnay than i planned on my recent (AUG 2019) visit. Brillint wines. I was blown away across the board by the quality of the Chardonnay on the penninsula. The Pinot Noir was pretty good too by the way.....

I picked up a couple of botlles fom 10 x. Great cellar door depite the fire a couple of years ago.

Cheers

Michael

What did you enjoy most?

I grew up there but haven’t tried many wineries

[Michael McNally]

What did you enjoy most?

I grew up there but haven’t tried many wineries

Apologies for the delay Dragz. Been a little distracted by the apocolypse!

My faves were Moorooduc, 10 x Tractor (and lunch!), Main Ridge, Paringa Estate, Montalto, and Foxeys Hangout. YabbyLake was too touristy/commercial for me.

Hard to set a foot wrong. Only really disapppointing experience was Crittenden where the tasting was great and I paid extra to do the premium wines, but they didn't refund the tasting despite buying two of said premium wines. Almost asked for a refund when I worked it out and asked. Didn't want to end the day on a sour note, but was pretty pissed off.

Cheers

Michael

[Dragzworthy]

What did you enjoy most?

I grew up there but haven’t tried many wineries

Apologies for the delay Dragz. Been a little distracted by the apocolypse!

My faves were Moorooduc, 10 x Tractor (and lunch!), Main Ridge, Paringa Estate, Montalto, and Foxeys Hangout. YabbyLake was too touristy/commercial for me.

Hard to set a foot wrong. Only really disapppointing experience was Crittenden where the tasting was great and I paid extra to do the premium wines, but they didn't refund the tasting despite buying two of said premium wines. Almost asked for a refund when I worked it out and asked. Didn't want to end the day on a sour note, but was pretty pissed off.

Cheers

Michael

Yeah I really like Paringa (lunch there us amazing), Stonier (never visited but had their stuff in Singapore), Main Ridge (and btw the goat cheese farm is amazing, think I was drinking there at 10am...).interesting your view on Yabby Lake as I felt the same way despite raving feedback from a Frenchman who visited all the way from London. Haven't tried Montalto or Crittenden..not refunding on the tasting is just strangely short sighted....

[Wizz]

What did you enjoy most?

I grew up there but haven’t tried many wineries

Apologies for the delay Dragz. Been a little distracted by the apocolypse!

My faves were Moorooduc, 10 x Tractor (and lunch!), Main Ridge, Paringa Estate, Montalto, and Foxeys Hangout. YabbyLake was too touristy/commercial for me.

Hard to set a foot wrong. Only really disapppointing experience was Crittenden where the tasting was great and I paid extra to do the premium wines, but they didn't refund the tasting despite buying two of said premium wines. Almost asked for a refund when I worked it out and asked. Didn't want to end the day on a sour note, but was pretty pissed off.

Cheers

Michael

Yeah I really like Paringa (lunch there us amazing), Stonier (never visited but had their stuff in Singapore), Main Ridge (and btw the goat cheese farm is amazing, think I was drinking there at 10am...).interesting your view on Yabby Lake as I felt the same way despite raving feedback from a Frenchman who visited all the way from London. Haven't tried Montalto or Crittenden..not refunding on the tasting is just strangely short sighted....

Interested to see this perspective on Yabby Lake. I rate their wines as some of the best on the Peninsula, and we would have eaten there if our two visits were timed differently. I found the tastings quite rewarding if you identify as being on their mailing list and show some wine knowledge. Caveat - both visits the tasting room and restaurant was fairly empty,

[Rory]

Its interesting you've called the Yabby Lake "Touristy/commercial". virtually all the others (Except Moorooduc) are considered that way by the young guns down here.
Time you found out about the small operators.

[Michael McNally]

Its interesting you've called the Yabby Lake "Touristy/commercial". virtually all the others (Except Moorooduc) are considered that way by the young guns down here.
Time you found out about the small operators.

True. Many others on that list were touristy/commercial, just for me Yabby Lake went too far and I thought the wines more overpriced than elsewhere. Certainly Crittenden, Paringa,10 x Tractor and Montalto are very much so. Might have just been the people I struck and that they were quieter?

Anyway, I would have loved to visit some of the other smaller places the "young guns" (FMD) prefer, but with 24 hours notice and on a Wednesday to boot not a lot of the beardy types were open.

I would love to have a list of small operators for next time so please list a couple and I will try to contact them beforehand. Might be a while but....

Cheers

Michael

[Rory]

Yes, get what you're saying about it being a Wednesday!

Most of the less commercial ones don't have a cellar door though. And some of them are made by well established contract wine makers... but the fruit comes from the individual vineyards.

Worth a look:

Bellingham Estate
Mosselini
Tattury
Principia
Yal Yal Rd
Garagiste
Allies
Prossimo
Telera


And of course, from the older crew... Eldridge and Paradigm (find out about the Hand of Man from these two).

[Dragzworthy]

When I went to Yabby Lake it was pretty crowded as well...had a helicopter group arrive and was a little overrun. I would like to think that didn't influence my thought on the wines but I wasn't enamoured

[ticklenow1]

Myself and a friend went to Yabby Lake last November and we were the only ones there. You are right about it being a commercial operation. We had a young girl serve us and to be honest it sounded like she was reading off palm cards. I asked a couple of questions and she was a bit lost. But the Chardonnay was beautiful and we bought a 6 pack to split.

Cheers
Ian