Vasse Felix Chardonnay Adams Road 2011

Winery: Vasse Felix

Varietal: Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

Region: Margaret River

The south-western region of Margaret River in Australia has gradually grown over the past century or so to become a highly important region for the country's wine industry. Today, there are around fifty thousand hectares of the region under vine, and Margaret River has somewhere in the region of one hundred and fifty wineries using the superb terroir for cultivating a wide range of vines. Margaret River is renowned and esteemed around the world for its versatility, and many different grape varietals thrive in the hot and humid coastal climate. Although the region is most famous for the production of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, the cooler areas of Margaret River have consistently proven to be ideal for growing Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc – two grapes which are becoming increasingly popular in Australia due to their ability to express the country's unique terroir.

Country: Australia

With over sixteen thousand hectares of Australian land now under vine, Australia has become something of a world leader in regards to wine production. One of Australia's key attributes to their success has been their willingness to leave traditional vineyard practices to one side, and develop techniques which are perfectly suited to a New World country. Modern Australian wineries take into consideration the climate and the unique soil types which cover much of their country, and have had fantastic results from cross-breeding programs and blending practices which make the most of the grape varietals which thrive most successfully there, notably the Shiraz and Chardonnay grapes. In recent years, Australia has been lauded as the 'most influential' wine producing country in the world, and the rest of the New World is looking down under for inspiration, and the ability to produce comparable fine wines on their own terrain.