Salo Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2018
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1 or more bottles$44.99
Editors notes
Salo is the side-project of Young Winemaker of the Year nominee Dave Mackintosh and Steve Flamsteed, Head Winemaker of one of the most awarded wineries in the Yarra Valley, Giant Steps.
Over the last 6 years they have made Salo from a single block of Chardonnay grown on the deep red volcanic soils in the upper Yarra. These vines are now 18 years of age and each year, they seem to deliver a little more elegance and concentration into the wine.
Fruit was hand-picked on the 3rd March, chilled in the cold room overnight and then whole bunch pressed to a tank high in the winery. The small tank is then rummaged and run by gravity down to 500 L (1 new one, the rest older) Puncheons with full juice solids. Wild fermentation finished in mid-April and a few of the puncheons then went through a spontaneous malo, which has added a lovely creaminess and length to the mouthfeel. It’s quite a different vintage (and wine) to the 2017. There is a lovely freshness and energy to this wine – really delicious as a new release, but we think with good cellaring this wine will develop some lovely complexity over the next 5 -10 years. 245 cases made.
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Apple
- Lemon
- Nectarine
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Palate
- Apple
- Cream
- Peach
Food Pairings
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Cheese
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Fish
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Poultry
Critic Scores & reviews
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Gary Walsh
94"Quite different to the 2017, as I recall. Roast chicken, sushi, very umami, a little smoke, alongside lemon curd, citrus and pear. Fleshy, savoury, some flint and grapefruit acid cut, also caramel and brine, not a fruity wine at all, but one with a distinct personality all the same. It softly persists. It’s pretty much ready to go now, to my way of thinking, and offers a slightly dirty and different expression of Yarra Valley Chardonnay."
Other vintages
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Locations
Australia
Australia's wine industry is a thriving part of the country's economy, contributing significantly to employment, production, export, and tourism. In fact, the industry is the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, shipping out 760 million liters of wine to countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. One of the key factors contributing to Australia's success as a "New World" wine producer is the formal export and marketing of its wines through Wine Australia.
Australia's wine regions are scattered across the south and southeast, with almost every state boasting its own vineyards. Victoria, for example, is home to an impressive 21 wine regions. Some of the most famous wine regions in Australia include Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, and local regions to New South Wales such as Cowra, Southern Highlands, and Mudgee.
Australian winemakers are known for producing a diverse range of grape varieties, with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir being among the most popular. They tend to focus on producing wines that are ripe, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, using modern winemaking techniques and equipment such as stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled fermentation.
With its bold, fruit-driven flavors and reputation for quality and diversity, Australian wine has become a popular choice for wine lovers around the world. And with such a broad range of wine regions and grape varieties, there's something for every palate to enjoy.

Victoria
The wine region of Victoria has the highest number of grapevines than any other state in Australia. It is home to over 600 wineries and well-known regions such as Yarra Valley, Heathcote, and Rutherglen. Victoria is situated in the southeastern corner of Australia where due to the location, the climate has a cool maritime influence and is known for its outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with producing Australia’s most famed dessert Muscat and Topaque wines.
There are a number of different terroir levels throughout the wine region of Victoria which leads to the production of different ranges of wines. In the southern region of Victoria, the vines are regulated by the cool winds of the Bass Strait. Central Victoria consists of mostly flat terrain that tends to be drier and warmer than the rest of Victoria, which results in more fruit concentrated wines. It may be surprising to note that Victoria is the third most productive wine region in Australia, seeing as it does not have as many areas suitable for viticulture, which has resulted in the cellar door culture of Victoria being concentrated with smaller, but more personal boutique wineries.

Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is a wine region known for producing outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The region has become a leading wine tourism destination, popular for weekend trips as it is located only an hour’s drive northeast of Melbourne.
The cool climate region has some of the oldest soils in the world, and produces terrific Chardonnays in the leaner, acid-driven style. Long gone are the days of excessively oaked and oily Chardonnays. Superb Pinot Noir is cultivated with tremendous results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and even Sparkling wines of premium quality are also worth seeking out.
Yarra Valley is the oldest wine region in Victoria with the first vines planted in 1838 at Yering Station. Reg Egan founded the iconic Wantirna Estate in 1963, followed by Dr Bailey Carrodus in 1969 who founded equally lauded Yarra Yering in the foot of the Warramate Hills. Nowadays a fleet of new world wine makers and growers are making sure Yarra Valley stays at the forefront of Victorian wine production. Key wineries to look out for are Mayer, William Downie and Macforbes.
The region in 2009 suffered in the Black Saturday fires, with an estimated 25% of all production was impacted.

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