Thorn Clarke Chardonnay Milton Park 2008 750ml

Winery: Thorn Clarke

Varietal: Chardonnay

Despite having its origins in western France, Chardonnay's immense popularity and flexibility quickly meant that before long, there wasn't a wine producing country in the world which wasn't investing in this fascinating and versatile grape varietal. Today, Chardonnays manage to win fine wine competitions and satisfy supermarket shoppers simultaneously, due to the fact that this grape varietal can take on many characteristics and features of where it is grown and how it is handled. Indeed, this green skinned grape is renowned for not having so much unique flavor within the fruit, but is very sensitive to the features of the terroir it is grown in, as well as to aging As such, it isn't unusual to find bottles of single variety Chardonnay wine described as holding notes of white stone, mountain waters, or other such geological features alongside the more predictable fruit descriptions This makes Chardonnay grape varietal wines an exciting world to delve into – full of surprises, full of delights.

Region: Barossa

The Barossa Valley in Australia is home to the country's finest vineyards, and has been the premier wine region of Australia for several decades now. First established by German settlers in the late 19th century, Barossa Valley suffered a drop in reputation in the 1950s and 60s, with most of their produce being used only for blending purposes. Thanks to the vision and ambition of several unique and interesting wineries which decided to make Barossa their home, the reputation of this excellent region was restored over the past four decades due to the excellence of the produce coming out of Barossa, and the efforts made to demonstrate the real qualities of Australia's Shiraz wines. Today, a wide range of grape varietals are grown on the fine soil and in the temperate climate of Barossa, and they are enjoyed across the globe.

Country: Australia

Whilst most of Australia consists of arid deserts and dense bushland, the oceanic coasts to the south of the country have a terrain and climate ideal for vine cultivation and wine production. It took several decades of failed attempts at the end of the 18th century in order to produce vines of a decent enough quality for making wine, but since those first false starts, the Australian wine industry has continued to grow and grow. Today, wine production makes up for a considerable part of the Australian economy, with exports in recent years reaching unprecedented levels and even overtaking France for the first time ever. Whilst the greatest successes in regards to quality have been the result of the Syrah grape varietal (known locally as Shiraz), Australia utilizes several Old World grapes, and has had fantastic results from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and more. As the Australian passion for locally produced wine continues to develop, wineries have begun experimenting with a wider range of grape varietals, meaning that nowadays it isn't uncommon to find high quality Australian wines made from Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier, amongst many others.