The By Farr chardonnay comes from the same site as the Sangreal pinot noir—composed of red soil over limestone—and was planted in 1994. The limestone of this site is not exposed on the surface as at other sites. The limestone starts 20 to 30cm below the surface, to the depths of the root zone of the vines. It is a very exposed north-facing slope. The clones used for the chardonnay are a mixture of Dijon clones and Penfolds 58.

Chardonnay by Farr is made in an elegant, Burgundian style with fine focused acidity, linear structure, creamy mealy texture, and well integrated oak. Complex and multi-layered, it is consistently one of Australia’s finest Chardonnays.

The fruit is hand-picked then whole-bunch pressed in the winery. All the solids are collected and chilled before being put to barrel, which are 30 per cent new French oak. A natural fermentation will occur at cool temperatures over the next one to two months, and then a small amount of stirring helps start malolactic fermentation. The wine is then racked, fined and lightly filtered before bottling 11 months after picking. A very mineral site for chardonnay.

The trademark characteristics of the wine produced on our site are understated power and length with a mineral finish. The wine has a great fruit expression that is well integrated with French oak. The soil characteristics have come through in the style of wine we have today. The palate is fine but firm, with great acidity, texture and length. This new release has the goods… with richness in flavour and usual refinement.

By the winemaker about the 2018 vintage:

“The 2018 harvest season delivered very consistent and evenly ripened fruit, with an abundance of fruit flavour.  It also delivered another baby girl to the extended Farr family.  Joel and Brodie welcomed Eleanor to their family in early May just as we tucked away another harvest, which is full of hope and expectation.

Considering how dry the summer had been in Victoria, the precise and limited rainfall fell at ideal times.  The canopies were healthy and the temperature was mild through March, meaning the harvest was electric.  All fruit needed to be picked simultaneously, condensing five weeks work into three and making for fun times. We are really looking forward to seeing how the wines develop, considering the season was quite different to the previous three.” Nick Farr