Family Reserve Chardonnay 2022

Reviews:

2022 Vintage

96 points, James Halliday, The Weekend Australian, July 2023
96 points, Ray Jordan, WinePilot, May 2023
95 points, Barry Weinman, Fine Wine Club, Apr 2023
“A powerful chardonnay”, Dr Craig Drummond MW, Medical Forum Magazine, May 2023
95 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review, January 2024

Tasting Notes:

• Colour: A pale golden hue, indicative of its richness and the oak maturation.
• Aromatics: A beautiful mix of lemon zest, grapefruit, and ripe nectarine. Subtle notes of roasted cashew and a faint struck match aroma add complexity.
• Palate: Full-bodied and round, with a balance of fresh citrus and stone fruit flavours. The malolactic fermentation provides a creamy mouthfeel, and the wine’s acidity keeps it lively.
• Finish: A long finish with oak adding subtle length, leaving a clean and fresh aftertaste.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

• Grilled Fish: Pairs beautifully with grilled white fish such as barramundi or snapper, complementing the richness and fresh acidity.
• Roast Chicken: Works wonderfully with roast chicken or turkey, where the wine’s richness and texture can shine.
• Creamy Pastas: Try it with creamy pasta dishes, like fettuccine alfredo or seafood linguine, which highlight its creamy elements.
• Cheese: A great match for soft cheeses like camembert or triple cream brie.

Vineyard & Winemaking:

The grapes for the 2022 Singlefile Family Reserve Chardonnay are hand-picked, ensuring that only the finest fruit is selected. After being whole-bunch pressed, the juice was fermented in new French oak barriques (33%) and one-year-old French oak (67%) to allow the oak influence to integrate seamlessly. The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation (25%), which imparts a creamy texture and adds a layer of complexity. After fermentation, it spent nine months maturing in oak, allowing the wine to develop depth and elegance.

• Oak Maturation: Aged for nine months in new (33%) and one-year-old French barriques, allowing subtle oak influence and a smooth, integrated texture.
• Fermentation: The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation (25%), adding a creamy mouthfeel and contributing to its richness.
• Handpicked: The fruit was hand-picked to ensure the highest quality, ensuring the expression of the best fruit.

Technical Data:

• Grape Variety: Chardonnay
• Region: Great Southern, Western Australia
• Alcohol: 13.5% by Vol | 8.1 Standard Drinks
• pH: 3.27
• Titratable Acidity: 6.5 g/L
• Cellaring: The wine will develop beautifully over the next five years.

Vintage Conditions:

The 2022 vintage in the Great Southern region was marked by a mild growing season, with good rainfall during winter and spring, followed by dry conditions leading into summer. The cool nights and moderate temperatures allowed the grapes to ripen slowly, resulting in wines with excellent acidity, depth, and flavour complexity. This vintage is an exceptional representation of the region’s terroir.

Best Serving Temperature:

• Ideal Serving Temperature: 10-12°C
  Serving this Chardonnay slightly chilled allows the fresh citrus and stone fruit flavours to shine while preserving its creamy texture and complexity.

Technical Wine Language Explained:

• Malolactic Fermentation: A process where bacteria convert malic acid (found in grapes) into lactic acid, softening the wine and adding a creamy texture. It’s commonly used in Chardonnay to add richness.
• Barriques: Small French oak barrels (225L) used for aging wine. The oak imparts flavours of vanilla, spice, and toast, while also providing structure.
• Struck Match: A faint aroma of sulfur compounds that can develop during fermentation, adding complexity and a subtle, smoky quality to the wine.
• Titratable Acidity: A measure of the wine’s acidity, contributing to its crispness and freshness. This wine has a balanced level of acidity that enhances its structure and longevity.
• pH: A measure of the wine’s acidity and balance. A lower pH generally indicates more acidity, contributing to the wine’s freshness and crispness.

About Singlefile Winery

Singlefile Winery is located in the prestigious wine region of Denmark, part of Western Australia’s Great Southern. With an impressive collection of awards, medals, and accolades, the winery meticulously selects grapes from premium vineyards. The main vineyards are set in the scenic Great Southern area, specifically in Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and the Porongurups, while also sourcing from renowned regions like Margaret River. The Denmark property enjoys a cool maritime climate, ideal for growing aromatic varietals such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which showcase the region’s elegance. In contrast, the Frankland River vineyard, characterised by its continental climate, produces robust varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. This diverse, multi-regional approach allows Singlefile to craft an exceptional range of wines, each reflecting the unique terroirs of their origins and the winemakers’ dedication to quality.

Family History

Singlefile Wines was co-founded in 2007 by Phil and Viv Snowden, both geologists, alongside their daughter Pam and son-in-law Patrick Corbett. Each member had established successful careers before coming together to create Singlefile, united by a deep passion for wine. Pam and Patrick’s time living in Italy as a young couple solidified their appreciation for fine wines, while summer reunions with Phil and Viv provided opportunities to explore Old World wine regions, planting the seeds for their own winery.

After selling their successful consultancy, Snowden Mining, in 2004, Phil and Viv sought a new venture. They, along with Pam and Patrick, immersed themselves in learning about Australia’s key wine regions, determined to find the ideal site for producing exceptional cool-climate wines. Their journey led them to Denmark in Western Australia, where they discovered a slice of paradise. Leveraging their geological expertise, Phil and Viv chose an established vineyard that promised to showcase the true essence of Denmark’s terroir. This site, which now houses the cellar door, became the foundation for Singlefile and its celebrated Chardonnay wines.

Following the construction of the Cellar Door, Patrick and Pam relocated to the east coast of Australia for a year to establish distribution channels, working with sommeliers, trade partners, and consumers to build awareness of Singlefile. Meanwhile, Phil and Viv focused on refining their viticultural practices and enhancing the cellar door experience for visitors.

Today, Patrick plays a crucial role in producing all Singlefile wines, while Pam manages the daily operations. Phil and Viv reside on the Denmark property, keeping a close watch on the vineyards and cellar door activities.

From its family origins, Singlefile has evolved into a respected winery, largely thanks to the dedicated team that supports the founders in realising their vision. Despite its growth, Singlefile retains a family essence, remaining true to its boutique beginnings.

At Singlefile, quality is paramount, achieved through a minimal intervention philosophy in both vineyard and winery. The wines are crafted as naturally as possible, allowing the unique characteristics of the environment to shine in each bottle.

Singlefile is proud to be recognised as one of the premier wineries in the Great Southern region. The entire Singlefile family is driven by a commitment to produce top-quality wines, encapsulated in the Latin motto on their crest: Semper Superne Nitens – “the pursuit of excellence.”

Singlefile’s dedication to making exceptional wines is paralleled by its commitment to the Great Southern region. It’s as large as it is diverse. Its geography is a patchwork of coastal maritime land, gently undulating hills, open grazing country, eucalypt forests and granite outcrops. A true liquorice all-sorts of land girt by sea. And this variety is what makes the Great Southern so convincing as a supreme winemaking region.

Since its inaugural vintage in 2008, Singlefile Wines has been forging relationships with growers across the Great Southern region, under the guidance of wine luminary Larry Cherubino. Together, we meticulously select sites and varieties renowned for their excellence. Join us on a journey through the Great Southern as we explore each of its unique regions.

They have a long list of awards such as winning the International Rose Competition. Not to mention outstanding scores from the likes of Wine Companion & Ray Jordan.

We can order in a Singlefile Wine we don’t stock, email us at info@partnersinwine.com.au