Circa 77 Chardonnay
A bright and refreshing coastal Chardonnay offering fresh pear, apple and grapefruit aromas layered with subtle oak. Delicately creamy with a deliciously zesty finish.
Vintage
A great summer led up to the vintage, although a rain event about a week before the start of harvest resulted in unusually humid conditions which required careful fruit selection in some vineyards. 2021 ended up being a more challenging season than usual, however the extra work in the vineyard ultimately paid dividends with some wonderfully elegant wines being produced as a result.
Vineyard
The Chardonnay vines were planted in 1977, hence the name Circa 77. The estate vines are the Gingin clone, known for its small bunches and its ‘hen and chicken’ (millerandage) berries that produce fruit of intense concentration with high, natural acidity. The vines flourish in Margaret River’s renowned ancient granite soils, which have an abundance of ironstone gravel. These free-draining soils have low water and nutrient holding capacities, providing the optimum growing conditions to achieve balance between foliage and fruit, and deliver superb aroma and flavour intensity. The Indian and Southern Oceans meet here, engulfing the vineyards with fresh, sea breezes, promoting natural balance. The vineyard is managed sustainably with an aim of continual improvement of the natural environment focussing on soil and vine health, including biodiversity and weed management from sheep grazing.
Winemaking
The fruit was pressed without crushing, retaining a proportion of solids in the juice after settling for 48 hours. 65% of the blend was wild yeast fermented in seasoned French oak barriques (only 6% new). 35% of the blend was tank fermented using a selected aromatic yeast. The lees were integrated throughout the wine in tank before being transferred into old oak for maturation. All batches received bâtonnage, which imparted texture throughout the nine-month maturation period.
Tasting Notes
A bright and refreshing coastal Chardonnay offering fresh pear, apple and grapefruit aromas layered with subtle oak. Delicately creamy with a deliciously zesty finish.
Grape
Chardonnay 100%
To find out more about the winery, click here to go to the website
Xanadu is a true pioneer of the Margaret River region producing fresh and vibrant coastal wines. The estate was established by Dr John Lagan, an Irishman, who arrived in Margaret River in 1968. Captivated by the pioneering spirit of the region, along with his wife Eithne, he planted his first vines in 1977. Inspired by the beauty of the setting, they named the property after the mysterious, idyllic paradise in Samuel Coleridge’s poem, Kubla Khan: Xanadu. True to its poetic namesake, Xanadu is in an idyllic setting, where 65 hectares of vines flourish on the original estate. Passionate and dedicated winemaker Glenn Goodall joined in 1999, combining intuitive winemaking, and a deep respect for the sustainably cultivated vineyard- which is a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia- he produces world-class wines of distinction. Glenn was awarded Halliday’s ‘Best Winemaker of the Year Australia 2023’ and in 2018 Xanadu won the Jimmy Watson memorial trophy.
To see our full range of Xanadu wines click here
Circa 77 Chardonnay
£15.99 a bottle
15 in stock
Xanadu Wines has a long history of producing wines of distinction. By the early Eighties it was already winning awards, and had begun establishing a reputation as one of the finest wineries in the region, a reputation that is being consolidated since the purchase of Xanadu by the Rathbone family in 2005.
Regarded as one of Australia’s best wine producing regions. It is synonymous with a new era in Australian wine. Margaret River really began its vineyard life as a result of two research reports from Californian viticulturalist Professor Harold Olmo and the Western Australian scientist Dr John Gladstone. In 1965 Dr Gladstone’s report indicated that the region had all the attributes to produce world quality wines. This advise was acted on by Dr Tom Cullity who set up his Vasse Felix vineyard near Willyabrup, followed by Dr Kevin Cullen and his wife Di who set up Cullen Wines. The climate is regarded as ‘cool’ because of its long slow ripening season. This region is regarded along with Coonawarra and the Yarra Valley as one of the premium Cabernet Sauvignon areas in Australia. The main wine styles: Red – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet-Merlot, Shiraz; White – Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho.
Australia’s most widely planted white grape variety. The heavily oaked styles of the earlier nineties are now being replaced with styles emphasising the regional fruit and greater complexity. The cooler climate regions producing styles of great elegance and finesse.
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