Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay

Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay bottle image

Wine Description

A selection of the most unique and striking vineyard sections, recognised for its innovative winemaking and distinguishing 'Heytesbury' character.

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Acclaim
Complex on the nose, it engages and demands full attention. There’s the classic Heytesbury wild edges, wrapped around a firm classy core. Flint, citrus blossom, toasty perfumed oak, gentle spice, dried ginger, preserved lemon, dried thyme, pink grapefruit, curry leaf and oat biscuit. A little kefir lime in there for good measure. The palate is revelatory in its mouth-filling perfume, salty haze and pillowy core of fruit concentration. A filigree of layers, fine phenolics and detailed texture, sea spray acidity and a cushioning of oak to carry the fruit’s narrative. Delicious as it is, but will offer plenty for those that wait. Made from 100% Gingin clone, with 52% new French oak for nine months, followed by seven months in tank. — Decanter, Jun 2025
The 2023 Chardonnay Heytesbury is powerful yet refined delivering robust layers of preserved lemon and crushed nuts with hints of seabreeze and vanilla-bean oak. The 2023 is particularly approachable, with vibrant pear and ginger flavours to start before nougat and gunflint tones build on the finish. Tangy acidity builds through the close. This is an atypical vintage to enjoy over the medium term. — Vinous, Jun 2025
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Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Margaret River
Vineyard name
Selected sites throughout Margaret River
Exposure:
Various
Harvest time:
February-March 2018
First vintage of this wine:
1997
Bottles produced of this wine:
12,000
Average Vine Age:
10 - 20 yo
Certified Vineyards:
Vasse Felix manages its vineyards organically and is currently completing the process to achieve Organic Certification.
Certifying Organizations:
NASSA
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
100% wild yeast
Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Fermentation container:
French Barriques
Malolactic fermentation:
Partial
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
9 months
Age of Aging Container:
42% new, 58% 1-3 year old
Total SO2
97
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.13
Acidity:
6.9 g/L
Alcohol:
13 %
Dry extract:
21 g/L
Total SO2
97
Residual sugar:
0.85 g/L
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Wine Production

Similar to the previous season, the 2018 vintage experienced cooler than average conditions. Spring and early Summer delivered intermittent cool then moderate weeks before a run of below average temperatures in January and February. Late January rain led to a fear of disease, however a beautiful period of ripening followed with ample sunshine and strong daily sea breezes preserving vibrant fruit flavours and acidity. Our white varieties ripened with ideal sugar levels and high malic acid content for the third year running, resulting in a desire to allow some natural malolactic ferment in Chardonnays.

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About the Vineyard

Our most unique small vineyard sections where clone, aspect and soil interplay in such a way to ignite stunning varietal and wild yeast characters. Another cool season for Chardonnay, picked slightly earlier than 2017 and showing more fruit weight and ideal sugar levels. With moderate to high acidity, just over half completed malolactic fermentation. Beautifully ripe skins created a softer Heytesbury in this vintage. Hand-harvested, whole-bunches were pressed and transferred direct to barrel as unclarified juice. The wine was fermented with only natural yeasts from the vineyard and it remained in barrel for 9 months with some battonage. Fruit was 100% Gingin clone. A beautifully rich vintage for Chardonnay where the wines are looking approachable quite early yet will integrate and become deeper with time.