TN: Redgate WW Ullinger Reserve Chardonnay 2013

[Waiters Friend]

G'day

Bill Ullinger was the founder of Redgate in the 1970s, and this wine and the corresponding Cabernet celebrate his life.

Yellow in colour, and clear as a bell. Balanced nose with stone fruits, melon and cedary oak. The palate shows signs of development with savoury notes and mildly grippy tannins supporting nectarine and a touch of grapefruit. Acid is noticeable and supports the slightly drying mouthfeel.

There's good palate weight, and it leads to quite a long finish. Best with food. Will probably improve over the next year or two.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

Over a year on from the last note, I opened another bottle. Very slightly darker than in 2018, but relatively pale for a 7 year old chardonnay.

The tasting note is very similar to 2018, with the fruit diminished slightly, and the drying mouthfeel a little more emphasised. The wine has gained a little more complexity from age and is probably at its peak now.

[Waiters Friend]

Four years on from my last TN, I found another bottle lurking in the depths of the cellar. I'm pleasantly surprised that this is still fine - I didn't intend to leave it this long.

Yellow in colour with gold tinges. The nose is developed (surprise!) with grapefruit taking over from the stonefruits (although the stone fruits and melon remain). There's a savoury note as well, which may be the remnants of cedary oak.

The palate carries the grapefruit and stonefruits along its length. Oak is fully integrated and shows more as a supporting and contrasting flavour. Quite flavourfull without being round and overly mouthfilling, with acid creating a line down the tongue and adding freshness.

Possibly better a couple of years ago, but no slouch now. It depends on how aged you like your chardonnay, I suppose.

Cheers
Allan

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