2011 THICK AS THIEVES CHARDONNAY - ON THE MONEY

We have previously reviewed the 2010 Thick as Thieves Chardonnay on these pages, a wine that certainly hit this taster’s sweet spot. The 2011 vintage follows in a similar vein. 2011 was not an easy vintage in southern Australia. It was an atypically wet and cool year, where getting ripeness, more particularly, uniform ripeness, was not easy. It was a year where diligent vignerons, those that apply their skills in the vineyard, succeeded.

While 2011 has already been derided by certain journalists and some consumers, there is much to enjoy from the vintage’s better wines. We in Australia may look upon a damp and cool vintage as something to be wary of.  However, it is not altogether different to the conditions faced most years in some of the world’s greatest wine producing regions (notwithstanding the influence of global warming).

Although it is dangerous to generalise, it is fair to say that the best white wines of 2011 possess a lovely natural freshness. Where crop levels were modest and fruit selection was rigorous, the wines don’t lack for depth of fruit, nor ripeness. It is true to say that the better reds aren’t necessarily rich or voluminous, but many possess very pretty aromatics and should drink well, at least over the medium term.

The 2011 Thick as Thieves Chardonnay illustrates just how far Australia has come with this noble grape. While it follows the contemporary ‘less is more’ philosophy (modest alcohol, subtle oak, minimal malolactic fermentation), it doesn’t do so at the expense of depth of flavour or character. This is a wine that is in no sense lean or ungenerous. One may detect a certain nod toward Chablis, but first and foremost, it is a high class, refined Yarra Valley Chardonnay, expressing both the region and the relatively cool 2011 vintage. Those looking for butterscotch and popcorn might want to look elsewhere, but for lovers of refined and sophisticated food friendly Chardonnay, there is a lot to enjoy.

2011 CHARDONNAY
Producer: Thick as Thieves
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2011
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $29.99
Date tasted: 17 November 2010

Tasting Note: 
Pale silvery lemon with green tinges. Bright, moderately aromatic nose of honeydew melon, green apple, Nashi pear and lemon citrus. Dry, medium bodied, quite racy, great tension, slight nod toward Chablis here. Taut and racy, but not lean in any sense of the word. Green apples, honeydew melon, oak very subtle and in the background. Citrussy acidity carries the finish which is long and strident. Score: 17+/20