Review for Springfield Estate ‘Wild Yeast’ Chardonnay, Robertson 2005

    edwardragg Wine Blogger February 25, 2009
    Appearance: darkish gold. Nose: complex first nose which will baffle traditional oaked (or unoaked) Chardonnay lovers. The wild yeast fermentation and lack of oak here provide a chemical first nose that gives way to tropical fruit (pineapple, apricot) and eventual mineral notes. This needs decanting as it requires lots of aeration to show its true colours! Palate: medium acidity, slightly tart fruit but this improves with aeration, medium-high alcohol. Quite good length. Conclusion: I was not a fan of this initially, but was impressed with how drastically the wine changed the longer it was in the glass. It has a tropical fruit but also mineral profile that really takes time to emerge. For ‘wild yeast’ advocates, I suppose, Chardonnays made from cultured strains tend to show the characteristics of specific yeasts in fermenting Chardonnay rather than the grape’s natural characteristics (neutral though those can be). This was an education. I’d have to taste more examples of wild yeast-fermented Chardonnays to begin to place this and provide only a tentative rating here. Drink now. more  
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    		17 /20

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