Mayfield Vineyard Estate'Eighteen Fifteen' Chardonnay

"Elevation of 900m and 25-year-old vines; seven months in a combination of new and seasoned oak. Latent power from start to finish with the developing Mayfield signature style of finesse and grace. Lemon aspen, lime cordial and white nectarine. Crushed sandstone and struck match. A yoghurt creaminess is followed by darting acidity and a touch of phenolic bitterness on the finish. A steal at the price."

It’s grown at altitude in the Orange region. This is one for lovers of struck match characters though importantly it has the substance to back it up. This is a powerful white wine. Peach, nectarine, flint and roasted nut characters come layered with smoke, funk, and what-have-you. There’s some grip to this, some cream, some crushed fennel and some reduction. You have to enjoy the flinty, funky style but in that context, it’s a beauty.

Charming and elegantly complex, the wine shows white flesh stone fruit, fig, nougat and roasted cashew characters with a hint of spicy undertone. The palate is equally appealing with excellent weight and creamy texture, well countered by bright acidity, finishing long and satisfying. At its best: now to 2030

Complex aromas of white stone fruit, nougat, melon skin, white flowers and nutty oak. Lovely weight and mouth-feel, plenty of nectarine, peach and a lick of pithy grapefruit, textured, layered and long. A pretty smart cooler climate chardy, 2023-2028

As would be expected from the cool climate of Orange, excels in its minerally, racier vogue. Green apple, lime, grapefruity acidity, a jolt of brine/saline character with what feels like barely-there cinnamon oak seasoning. Refreshing and bright, tightly coiled and refined, this is a very well judged style and great drinking in its youthful vigour.

The Chardonnay from Mayfield's Orange vineyard sits nearly 900 metres above sea level. There is some pleasing complexity about this wine. Cashews and barbecued peach plus some grilled fig. The intensity and drive are measured with a golden apple tinge lurking in the background. Soft ginger spices and biscuity nuances rise up late with a thin veil of sourdough and a lemony tang the parting gift. Good gear. Drink to five years.

Gentle struck-flinty reductive aroma, fine but also rich and soft in the mouth. Very subtle oak. Lovely wine.

The 2022 'Eighteen Fifteen' Chardonnay was initially shy on the nose and palate. However, once the reductive and aldehydic influences blew off, the wine slowly started to morph into a Chardonnay of complexity and depth, which will benefit from some cellaring. It is one that will definitely establish the Mayfield label at the elite echelons of the genre. We decanted ours for about 30 minutes & were rewarded with pristine melon/citrus varietal Chardonnay traits, well framed by wafts of new (20%) French oak. It's a wine of length, texture and quality.

Reductive and tight: struck match, flint, bread crust and roast nuts before oxygen opens it up to have hints of warm grapefruit, mealy savoury elements and peach skin. Mealy and savoury tones continue through a medium bodied and creamy drive. Crisp, if a little thin, through the finish, but the quality fruit still shines through.

Mayfield Vineyard 2022 Orange NSW Chardonnay - it has a lovely bouquet of ripe peaches with a smidge of limes & lemons, with a big, zippy, crisp palate with oodles of delightful stone fruit flavours & a degree of complexity. AN ABSOLUTE RIPPER YOUNG CHARDY!!!

The nose was a little shy to start with but soon opened up with a little coaxing after a good swirl in the glass. Good stonefruit characters coming through with a touch of oak too. The palate has great balance of peach, melon and oatmeal like flavours with good citrus characters providing a lovely freshness. Add to this some creamy, textural feels, pretty good length, and you have an impressive, young chardonnay.

Savoury reductive aromas of struck match, lemon pith and white peach. A textural rather than fruit-driven Chardonnay, with a poised palate of melon and citrus characters carefully framed by new oak. A keeper.