1877 Tumbarumba Chardonnay

McWilliam’s 1877 Tumbarumba Chardonnay, named in honour of the year Samuel McWilliam planted his first vines, is made with the best fruit of the vintage.

Fruit is handpicked from selected vineyard blocks, each vinified separately. Some parcels are whole bunch pressed while others are crushed prior to pressing.

The juice ferments on full solids with a mix of natural and inoculated yeasts in French oak. Around 30-40% of the oak is new, with the balance 2-4 years old. To retain the wine’s vibrancy, there is no malolactic fermentation.

Post ferment, a limited amount of bâtonnage (lees stirring) is used to build texture and length. Maturation is then completed on lees without further stirring.

Only the best barrels are selected for the final blend. Prior to bottling, the wine is gently fined and filtered.

Lemon yellow, McWilliam’s 1877 Tumbarumba Chardonnay has fleshy stone fruit flavours, wet stone minerality and spicy oak. Cellaring potential is five years.