McHenry Hohnen, Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay, McHenry Hohnen 2023 (Single Vineyard)

Margaret River, Australia

Grape Variety: Chardonnay

Alcohol: 13% ABV

The Story

Biodynamic farming, minimal intervention winemaking, single vineyard wines of Margaret River.

Since its inception McHenry Hohnen has had an unwavering focus on crafting site expressive wines. As the vines age and the soils continue to evolve, the individuality and beauty of the land continually develop in our wines.

The wines of McHenry Hohnen are sourced from the family estate consisting of three vineyards, all located in the southern part of the Margaret River Wine Region: Hazel’s Vineyard and Farm, Calgardup Brook Vineyard and Burnside Vineyard. For decades, founder and owner Murray McHenry has been a leading proponent in pushing the viticultural boundaries of this pristine region. While the portfolio is grounded in Chardonnay and Bordeaux varieties, McHenry Hohnen are also well regarded for less traditional varieties for this region such as Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache, Mataro and Zinfandel.

McHenry Hohnen see their role as stewards of the land and have implemented organic farming practices for many years to create the optimal conditions for soil health and the quality of the grapes harvested. The winemaking team craft wines that pay homage to the site of origin and use low impact techniques combined with an acute attention to detail to achieve the goal of the finest site specific wines.

Whilst the story of McHenry Hohnen is steeped in the history of the region, we look to the future with anticipation as our soil, vines and wines continue to evolve.

Vineyard & Winemaking

100% Calgardup Brook. This vineyard lies just inland from the coast. Its sandy, schisty soils are well weathered. These chardonnay vines run east-west with a slightly sloping northern aspect.

Sourced from a tiny section of 30 years old vines on the northern end of the Calgardup Brook vineyard. The small bunches were hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, and the juice transferred directly to oak with full solids. Fermented by native yeast in the finest selection of French oak barriques (approximately 40% new). Batonnage to encourage autolytic activity was based on flavour and no MLF to retain the natural acidity of this vintage. The wine was racked out of barrels to tank in November before bottling in January 2024.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with vertical notes of sea spray, ginger spice, jasmine, and nashi pears. Wild fermentation with full solids provides flinty complexities, yet this Chardonnay showcases crystalline purity and delicacy without compromising on flavour intensity. A distinctive saline, savoury acidity and attractive chalk-like minerality are the benchmark characters of this unique Southern Margaret River vineyard near the Indian Ocean.

Cellaring & Service

Cellaring Potential: 10-15 years

Serving Temperature: 12–14°C

Allergens: This wine contains sulphites

Accolades