County Chardonnay du Sud 2023, Trail Estate Winery

Description from the Producer

93 PTS — David Lawrason “[A] well balanced and quite rich Chardonnay with fairly generous, natural wine leaning, complex aromas of almost tropical banana/yellow pear fruit, butterscotch, brown spices, leesy/tea scents and wet stone. It is medium-full bodied, even-handed and rich, with firm acidity. Excellent to outstanding focus and length. Tasted February 2026 92 PTS — John Szabo, MS “Trail’s ‘Chardonnay du Sud’ from the southern end of the estate vineyard is a less variegated, more linear wine I find. It’s also a stony and fruit-shy expression the way we like them, uncompromising in its severity. Tasted February 2026. 91 PTS — Sara D’Amato “A lightly leesy, more concentrated style of Chardonnay than its modest 11.5% ABV suggests, sourced from a southern block of the estate vineyard. Subtle lactic notes mingle with hints of caramel, green apple, and white peach, underpinned by a touch of minerality. The wine remains discreet yet engaging, offering an appealing stony texture and impressive length. Cleanly made and nicely poised. Act fast as only 10 cases were produced. Tasted February 2026. - Hand Harvested from the South Block of Trail Estate’s site and pressed whole cluster to stainless steel. Chilled, racked and put to barrel to ferment naturally. A blend of new french oak and neutral puncheons and barriques were used. Aged without stirring in barrel for 11 months. Racked twice prior to bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur. The 2023 growing season was an EPIC season! Filled with plenty of challenges in the summer — lots of rain, high humidity and lots of heat. In September, the season flipped on its head and we were given the most beautiful ripening season. Grapes showed amazing concentration of flavour and great retention of acidity. A wine showcasing greater texture and fullness initially with a tart finish. Notes of crushed limestone and lemon. Cases Produced: 8 Grower: Trail Estate Winery Harvested: September 30, 2023 Yields: Approx. 1.5 Tonnes/Acre Brix: 21.3 RS: <3g/L Alcohol: 12.0%