Farr Rising - Chardonnay - 2024

The fruit is hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed. After natural fermentation, the wine then spends 11 months in barrel before bottling. It’s a suggestion of a golden flash in the glass. That first interaction makes it pleasing and generous. The nose is faint yellow apple, something peppery, white chocolate, celery leaf, dried mango and baking spice. That sounds like an overreaction, but it’s what I got. Obviously, these are flashes, like a flickering light that begins to illuminate a shape. The palate helps to fill in the gaps. The apple becomes more like white peach, the edgy spice frames the palate just so, and the acid and fruit weight go on and on harmoniously. That’s the end game I guess, interest and balance, and the wine making you want another sip. This wine does just that. Ben Knight