Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay, Henty
Named for Victoria’s Jaluka Forest, the Jaluka is a more contemporary cool-climate expression Chardonnay from the Henty region. Some of the fruit for this wine is sourced from Seppelt’s prized Drumborg vineyard.
The Jaluka Chardonnay bright, fresh citrus and stone fruit characters, with a creamy texture and nutty French oak influence.
Vinified using 100% barrel fermented with solids included and only a small amount of MLF (Malolactic Fermentation). Lees stirred once a month and matured for nine months in a combination of French oak barriques (225L), Puncheons (500L) and Vats (3000L) – 25% new oak overall.
"Straw-yellow in colour and milky to both smell and taste. Custard powder, citrus, nectarine and green apple flavours. It’s straight and direct but it has flouncier aspects. Truth is that it seems exceptionally young, and possibly a little lean too; it’s difficult to tell. I like the wine and it’s easy to see it developing well, though there’s an element of faith involved in the score."
91+ points, The Wine Front (May 2019)
"Straw-yellow in colour and milky to both smell and taste. Custard powder, citrus, nectarine and green apple flavours. It’s straight and direct but it has flouncier aspects. Truth is that it seems exceptionally young, and possibly a little lean too; it’s difficult to tell. I like the wine and it’s easy to see it developing well, though there’s an element of faith involved in the score."
91+ points, The Wine Front (May 2019)
"Very light yellow colour with a shy, reserved aroma of subtle nutty, honey and mineral notes. Some solids-fermented nuances. This is at a far remove from the simple fruity styles of chardonnay. The fruit is very background and tight, mineral, lean. It seems early harvested. Very good. It has intensity and persistence."
91 points, The Real Review (June 2019)
"Fresh white peaches and lemons here with a concentrated palate that offers gently minerally style and a bright, citrus and peach-infused palate."
93 points, jamessuckling.com (June 2019)
Takes its name from the nearby Jaluka Forest. A very smart cool-grown chardonnay at any price, let alone this - and then there's the prospect of strategic discounting. Grapefruit, melon, apple are in play, ditto subtle French oak. Will have a long life.
94 points, Wine Companion (September 2019)
Henty
Situated 300 km west of Melbourne in Southwestern Victoria, Henty was named after the first family to settle in Victoria in the 1800’s. The region was pioneered in 1964 by Karl Seppelt, who recognized that the cool climate was ideal for the production of sparkling and aromatic wines. The Seppelts planted 100 hectares at Drumborg in 1964 and this was followed by Crawford River in 1975. The long, gentle autumn ripening period allows the retention of both acid and aromatics crucial for Henty’s flagship variety, Riesling.
