2023 Burnside Vineyard Chardonnay

Q: Vintage Notes

Vineyard: Burnside Vineyard holds a special place in the McHenry Hohnen story. Originally planted by Murray McHenry in 1984, the site continues to be a vital part of our portfolio through a long-standing and valued grower relationship. Situated on the banks of the Margaret River, its soils—composed of granite and ironstone gravels—contribute to wines with impressive fruit intensity, structure, and finesse. The vineyard's inland position and unique microclimate add another layer of complexity to the fruit we source from this historic site. 2023 delivered a season of grace and balance. A wet, cold winter and cool, dry spring set the stage for even flowering and good yields. Summer was dry with consistently warm, sunny days and breezy conditions—without any extreme heat events. Diurnal temperature variation remained high, supporting the development of pristine fruit expression and perfect phenological ripeness. A standout vintage for white wines, particularly Chardonnay.

$95.00

From a 40-year-old, dry-farmed vineyard on the banks of the Margaret River, this single vineyard Chardonnay is powerful, flinty, and laced with savoury depth—a true expression of place and time.

Variety: Chardonnay (100%)
Alcohol: 13%

2023 Burnside Vineyard Chardonnay

$95.00

Tasting Notes

Voluptuous and expressive, with layered aromas of pink grapefruit zest, roasted hazelnut, and fresh almond pastry. Flinty complexities from wild ferment and full solids add depth, while the site’s intensity shines through in the wine’s aromatic power.

The palate is rich yet finely balanced, with a savoury line driven by extended lees contact and a precise natural acidity. Concentrated fruit meets structure and elegance, delivering length, complexity, and a chalky, mineral finish that speaks clearly of Burnside.

Vintage Notes

Vineyard: Burnside Vineyard holds a special place in the McHenry Hohnen story. Originally planted by Murray McHenry in 1984, the site continues to be a vital part of our portfolio through a long-standing and valued grower relationship. Situated on the banks of the Margaret River, its soils—composed of granite and ironstone gravels—contribute to wines with impressive fruit intensity, structure, and finesse. The vineyard's inland position and unique microclimate add another layer of complexity to the fruit we source from this historic site.

2023 delivered a season of grace and balance. A wet, cold winter and cool, dry spring set the stage for even flowering and good yields. Summer was dry with consistently warm, sunny days and breezy conditions—without any extreme heat events. Diurnal temperature variation remained high, supporting the development of pristine fruit expression and perfect phenological ripeness. A standout vintage for white wines, particularly Chardonnay.

Winemaker Notes

This wine is sourced from the hilltop section of the 40-year-old Burnside Vineyard, a dry-farmed site on the southern bank of the Margaret River. The small, concentrated bunches were hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, and transferred to French oak barriques (40% new) with full solids. Fermentation occurred spontaneously with native yeasts. Lees stirring was guided by flavour development, and no malolactic fermentation was allowed in order to retain purity and drive. The wine was racked from barrel to tank in November and bottled in January 2024.

Reviews

96 pts The Wine Front
“Burnside, not to be confused with the rather ‘select’ shopping centre in Adelaide. Planted 1981. Lime, white peach, mint and aniseed, almond paste, a kiss of smoky struck match. It has something of a green bean and parmesan rind sulphide character (which I’m, admittedly, not a huge fan of), but it has intensity, lime rind, a salted cracker character, vibrating ‘mineral’ acidity, so much grip and flinty texture, and a finish of super length, all lime margarita and chalk. Savoury, saline and so intense. If you love the modern Margaret River style, then this will absolutely hit the spot.” Gary Walsh, September 2024

95 pts Robert Parker Wine Advocate
“The 2023 Burnside Vineyard Chardonnay is from the Burnside vineyard, which was planted in 1981, and the wine speaks clearly of pink grapefruit, salted cashews, yellow-flesh peach, mustard seed and a hint of marzipan. The wine is piercingly intense and populated by penetrating fruit characters that linger long through the finish. The fruit is only "'just ripe" in that the acidity skates a very fine line between green and juicy. I find this to be a little distracting, despite being somewhat infatuated by the personality of the fruit flavors themselves. There's a lot going on here, and on balance, this is my favorite of the cuvées this vintage. I find the level of sapidity here to be outrageously impressive. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.”

95 pts Wine Pilot
“This intense and young 2023 Burnside Vineyard Chardonnay is a powerhouse and densely flavoured with layers of Summer peach, fruit salad, and roasted nuts with a strong backbone of toasty French oak. Mouth filling and flavoursome with creamy textures building to a lengthy finish. A huge crowd pleaser with something for everyone.” Angus Hughson, October 2024

2023 Burnside Vineyard Chardonnay

2023 Burnside Vineyard Chardonnay

Reviews

Recently Viewed