Region: Geelong
Variety: Chardonnay
What's in the glass: The By Farr Chardonnay comes from the same site as the Sangreal Pinot Noir—composed of red soil over limestone—and was planted in 1994. The nose is lovely, welcoming, it offers notes of ripe fruit, the smells in the glass are so evocative, this has all the elements that make you want to drink it. The palate, sleek but generous. Whenever I write a note like that I’m aware that it’s weird. What is sleek but generous? I mean that it is balanced. The weight of the wine is in the goldilocks zone, there are no angles that aren’t aligned, it feels smooth, chiselled and in proportion. The generosity of it comes from the intensity of the flavour. Sleek can be perceived as diminutive, but this wine is not that.It’s powerful, streamlined and draws your attention. As always, to talk just of fruit is too simple. This wine tastes of soil, flint, river pebbles, things you don’t immediately think to put in your mouth, but it’s the smell of them that triggers the recognition. This Chardonnay is complex, layered and thrilling. Find oysters to eat while you drink it, find a sea breeze and a view. Find a friend to sit next to, or drink it thinking of them. BEN KNIGHT, CRITIC
Farming: Sustainable
Vegan Friendly: Yes
