Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay bottle image

Wine Description

Vasse Felix Chardonnay is typified by its bright, elegant fruit, subtle wild complexities and a tight acid structure, reflecting the vibrancy and purity of this variety in Margaret River. 'Filius' translates to 'son of' in Latin, reflecting the relationship between this wine and its premier 'father'.

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Acclaim
"The entry point for Vasse Felix, hand-picked, chilled and whole bunch-pressed, cloudy juice to 21% new French barriques for wild fermentation and maturation for 9 months. Throws down the gauntlet with its mouthwatering energy and power. Its acidity guarantees it will thrive in bottle, but there is a strong argument to say it is as ready as it will ever be right now."
— James Halliday, Oct 2016
"Stylish, with a dried floral note weaving in and out of the green apple, lemon and melon flavors. Shows focused acidity and a long finish."
— Wine Spectator, Jan 2016
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
selected sites throughout Margaret River
Soil composition
deep gravel loam soil over clay
Training method
VSP
Exposure:
N-S
Year vineyard planted:
1998
Harvest time:
Late Feb - Early Mar 17
First vintage of this wine:
2013 under Filius label
Average Vine Age:
20
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
Whole Berries Air Bag Press following 5 hours skin contact
Fermentation container:
Barriques
Malolactic fermentation:
Partial
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
8 months
Age of Aging Container:
15% New, 85% 1-5 year old
Length of bottle aging:
6 months
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Analytical Data
No relevant data were found.
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Wine Production

All parcels were treated in respect of the unique qualities coming from each of our vineyard sites; natural fermentation with varying solids levels, fine French Oak and battonage programs were tailored to each individual batch. Following 8 months of maturation in oak (French Oak Barrique, 15% New, 85% 1-5 year old), the parcels of vibrant fruit and elegant fruit weight with complexity, were combined to create a unique varietal Chardonnay from Margaret River. For the second year in a row, we underwent MLF due to high acidity at harvest.

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About the Vineyard

2017 was a cooler and later vintage than the previous 10 years; a year of elegant, perhaps slightly lighter bodied wines, though ripe in flavour, vibrant and very perfumed. Higher than average yields in combination with a cooler season contributed to delayed ripening of the fruit and good acid retention. Some timely warmth and sunshine occurred throughout January, although February temperatures remained moderate with some rainfall. With the cooler weather, canopy management and fruit thinning was imperative to mitigate disease pressures and allow for even, persistent ripening. There was a warm start to March to finish the white harvest, followed by the driest April since 1982, finishing the reds beautifully.