2024 Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay

Precise and lifted, the 2024 Calgardup Brook Chardonnay opens with aromas of sea spray, talc, nashi pear and subtle ginger spice. Wild fermentation with full solids contributes fine flinty complexity, while the palate remains crystalline and tightly wound.

The early, compressed harvest has delivered purity of fruit with added textural detail through the mid-palate, balanced by the vineyard’s hallmark saline acidity and chalk-like minerality. Long, linear and quietly persistent, this wine captures the cool, coastal influence of Calgardup Brook with clarity and tension.

Vineyard: 100% Calgardup Brook Vineyard. Situated just inland from the pristine coastline in southern Margaret River, this site is influenced by cooling sea breezes from the Indian Ocean. Planted in 1998, the dry-grown vines are rooted in ancient sandy, schisty soils. East–west row orientation and a gentle north-facing slope promote even ripening and contribute to the vineyard’s distinctive purity, drive and mineral tension.

Vintage 2024 will be remembered as the earliest start of harvest at McHenry Hohnen. After good rainfalls during winter, our vines reacted to the excellent moisture levels in the ground and the warm spring conditions by developing healthy canopies earlier in the season. Summer was characterised by zero rainfalls and above-average diurnal temperatures. Veraison was anticipated across the different sites in 2–3 weeks. The Marri blossom was incredible in 2024, and with birds totally uninterested in our crops and no disease pressure, we were able to harvest pristine fruit. We experienced a very compressed white harvest, which kept our winery and vineyard teams extremely busy. The whites show expressive fruit profiles, with texture and generosity without compromising on freshness. Yields on the red varietals were lower than expected. However, the warm and dry weather created desirable conditions for our reds that showcase good structure, concentration, and vibrancy.

Sourced from a small parcel of mature vines, the fruit was hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and transferred directly to oak with full solids. Fermented by native yeast in a selection of fine French oak barriques (approximately 35% new). Batonnage was carried out based on flavour development to enhance texture and complexity. No malolactic fermentation was undertaken to preserve the natural acidity and mineral line of the site. The wine was racked from barrel to tank prior to bottling.