Tasting Profile
November 2022
This single-block wine is sourced from just 0.5 ha of 25-year-old Chardonnay vines within the Faultline block. Compared to the Farrago block, the soil contains less ironstone and more deep clay, leading to wines containing an earthy depth and a fuller, richer palate. The fruit was gently whole-bunch pressed directly into French oak barriques (20% of which were new), and fermentation occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts. Following fermentation, the wine was aged on lees (without battonage) for 11 months and was racked only once, directly prior to bottling. The wine was bottled without fining and with minimal filtration.
The nose offers a complex mix of aromas – nectarine, white florals, lime, and various other citrus notes, complete with engaging spice notes of ginger and lavender. The palate is taut and direct, with powerful citrus and softer edges showing more stonefruit characters. It finishes with a stone-like grip and excellent length. Tense and tight, this wine will reward time in the cellar.
13%
Tasting Profile 2021
Tasting Profile 2020
Tasting Profile 2019
Reviews
Vinous, May 2023
Angus Hughson
Energetic and powerful with a pristine core of youthful grapefruit and preserved lemon aromas wound in creamy oak. An exceptional precision follows. Tightly wound citrus flavours are lifted by more savoury/mineral nuances through to a super long and vibrant finish. The 2021 is a benchmark Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay.
95 points
The Real Review, June 2023
Aaron Brasher
Aromas of grapefruit pith, wet stone, minerals, just-ripe white peach, white flowers and nougat. Fine and focused; citrus and stone fruit are at the core. There’s a decent kick of nutty oak and creaminess and the acidity has snap and crAunch. Long, textured, layered and mouth-filling.
95 points
Wine Pinot, June 2023
Ken Gargett
This superb Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay is made from fruit that hails from a 0.5-hectare section of the Faultline vineyard. This vineyard has less ironstone and more clay than the Farrago. Whole bunches are pressed into French oak barriques, 20% new, with native yeasts. After fermentation, the wine spends 11 months on lees with a single racking. A deep yellow shade, the nose gives us notes of peaches, beeswax, ginger, cashews, and more with more notes of lemon butter and nougat. This is richer and riper in style than the Farrago and provides a gorgeous crème brulée texture. With fine acidity, excellent focus, and very good length, it will offer thoroughly enjoyable drinking over the next eight to twelve years. Love it!
96 points
Halliday Wine Companion, August 2023
Jane Faulkner
Faultline has a lot of detail, but in a more restrained package than its sibling Farrago. There’s finesse across the tight palate with fresh lemon and grapefruit and some flinty sulphides. Plus the perfect amount of nutty lees to expand the palate a tad. Moreish, savoury, complex and delicious.
96 points
Ciao Magazine, November 2023
Winsor Dobbin
Sometimes you want a wine for which you must pay a premium, perhaps for a dinner party, or maybe a special occasion. The chardonnays and pinot noirs from Kooyong on the Mornington Peninsula always deliver something special, so are well worth the asking prices. Richer and rounder than some of its stablemates, this single block wine nonetheless has a precise, crisp palate with grapefruit and stone fruit flavours along with plenty of length. Pair this with a traditional roast pork and crackling.
96 points
The Vintage
The Vineyard
The Kooyong vineyard is located on the Mornington Peninsula at Tuerong, on Miocene sedimentary soils. Our wines are made from domain grown, handpicked grapes and aim to manifest terroir: the integration of our geology and soils with the macroclimate of our region, the mesoclimates of the various sites within our vineyard and the weather of the annual grape growing season. Our cultural operations in the vineyard and practices in the winery endeavour to articulate these unique characteristics diligently, respectfully and without artifice.