2021 Murdoch Hill “Rocket” Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
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This was one of the first wines that I tasted after I started working for Greg here at Accent. I was delighted that he shared my passion for Aussie wines and was even more excited that he had some selections available that I had never even seen before. Long story short I grabbed a bottle of Murdock Hill Rocket Chardonnay to drink at home and was blown away by this wine. Lithe and mineral with great acidity and tension this is everything that cool climate Chardonnay should be. It was fermented in worn French Oak, given a bit of lees stirring, and allowed to go through partial malo all of which lent the wine a dose of texture, structure, and richness. I would love to tell you how it showed on day two or three but suffice it to say it didn't even last till the end of the evening let alone into the next day. - Andy Paynter
The estate vineyard is located behind the township of Oakbank, in the eastern Adelaide Hills. 20 hectares of sandy loam with influences of schist, shale rock-formations, pockets of sandstone and veins of quartz and ironstone, combined with an altitude of over 1100 feet, make for a great home for cool climate varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah all grow happily – and organically – here.
Michael Downer, the youngest of his generation, studied winemaking at school. After getting a degree in oenology, Michael worked with Shaw + Smith (Adelaide Hills), Vietti (Barolo), and Best’s Great Western (Grampians) before joining the family winery in 2012. Michael is credited with the renaissance of Murdoch Hill, transforming the estate from a venerable wine grower to the producer of some of the most esteemed wines in the region.
He’s brought the winemaking in-house (it was previously done by a neighboring winery) and created a range of single-site, minimal intervention bottlings. He has also introduced into their winemaking native yeast and whole bunch ferments, extended skin macerations, old oak aging, and has eschewed fining and filtration. - Legend Imports
