Wilimee 2024 Chardonnay - Puligny-like & Weightless

letuffeau.com (Link) Wilimee Macedon Ranges — “Ben Ranken is a lovely man and a very serious winemaker. His eyes have that captivating sparkle when he starts talking soil health and low vine vine-yields; carefully noting his are well within the bandwidth for Grand Cru white Burgundy. One cannot help but get swept up in his fervour. The wines carry this energy; talking even one minute with Ben about his vines and wines means far more to me than hours of waffle from the “minimal intervention” nonsense-spinners … The 2024 vintage is Ben’s 10th at Wilimee, a property he bought before the 2014 harvest. The vines, planted in 1982, are in their 42nd year however. The Cambrian soils … are probably celebrating their 500m year anniversary. To collectors and drinkers of fine Australian Chardonnay this should all be musick to the ears and yet it would all be for naught, as if the jongleur did not tune their lute, without Ben’s thorough work in the vineyard. He notes: … I’m not sure how to describe what I do as I use organics, biodynamics and biological/regenerative farming techniques. For example copper use in organics is quite high, whereas I used it only once this season. I don’t use any “cides”. Cide means to kill, ie herbicide, pesticide, homicide etc. I prefer to concentrate on growing soil, creating diversity (ie cover crops with 16+ different species), and mimicking nature. To create diversity above ground we must first have diversity below ground! I brew microbes for the vineyard, use vermicastings (worm castings), biochar, mulches using wool and straw etc. The result of ancient soils, vieilles vignes, and ten years of regenerative vineyard work: a phenomenal Chardonnay, with distinct Burgundian leanings yet utterly ‘Macedon’. In my unlearned opinion, what sets this wine apart is the fullness of the palate. I do not mean weight here; I mean its continued drive, without hollows or textural drops in the the middle. Few wines achieve this, fewer still at this price point. I opened an email to Ben earlier this week with the subject Your Marvellous Chardonnay and I really do mean it.” — David — ~ please note : discounts are automatically applied at the digital check-out! ~ — Wilimee 2024 Macedon Ranges Chardonnay (Shelf Price: $72.00) Offer: $58.00 (20%-off) “Lovely vivid and full yellow-gold with faint green highlights Faintly smudged by noble mineral reduction, this 2024 Chardonnay from the Wilimee Vineyard unwinds in the glass with a distinctly Burgundian-leaning nose of smashed granite and quartz, ripe Williams Pear, white and yellow stonefruit, fresh thyme, and slightly charred pineapple. All this is trimmed in crushed citrus leaves and salted lemon rind. Here, too, is an inkling of what an Englishman would call Clementine: that soft and perfumed orange citrus so beloved on their funny little island. Seriously though, I think what makes this wine so alluring is its herbal quality; never green or underripe, but softly blurring the mineral and otherwise taut Macedon granite-led profile with intriguing smoky and earthy complexities. The palate is elegant and on the lighter side of medium bodied; it runs, Puligny-like, with a weightless caress across the middle of the palate and sees a fine hurdle of acid rise in the back 1/3, phenolics gentle. There is a sense of restraint, holding back, that I find very attractive here: the mingling flavours of herbs, pear, peach, and crushed talc minerality all with much in reserve. Age will be most kind. The finish features repeating notes of clementine and ripe pear, also a pear skin like phenolic tug, coupled to that thyme note with faint anise touches. A delight - very fine. Ben Ranken, you have done it again. Your marvellous vineyard and lighthanded cellar work have turned out a Chardonnay I could blind the Burgundy-Boys with ... and come out trumps!” — David Order here (Link) … Please join us for a drink soon. Reservations preferred. Bookings and after-6.00pm access: (03) 9419 3867 Tue. 11.00 am–6.00 pm Wed.–Sat. 11.00 am–11.00 pm — If you would like any of the above, would like to come by for a private appointment, or just have some questions — please let us know.