Sidney Wilcox Chardonnay
A vibrant Chardonnay with a fine touch of oak
The Chardonnay vines were planted on the estate in the early 2000s, are carefully tended to produce wine with depth and minerality. Grown on ancient sheet limestone with red desert sand overlay, the low yielding fruit was influenced by seasoned French oak.
Harvested in different stages to capture optimum ripeness to extract the fresh fruity flavours, the 2023 vintage was cooler than average, reaching far into April. These conditions allowed the fruit to slowly and gently ripen, allowing the wines to display vibrancy and style.
Awards:
92 points– Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
90 points – Wine Showcase Magazine 2023
Gold – CWSA Best Value Awards 2024
Bronze – New Zealand International Wine Show 2023
Pale straw colour with a golden hue. Gently fragrant on the nose with peach, melon and subtle buttery aromas – leading to a succulent palate of light tropical fruit, with nutty toast and vanilla balanced by it’s minerality. Finish is long, smooth and medium bodied.
“Elegant and complex with white flesh stone fruit, lemon peel, nougat and hazelnut aromas, it’s beautifully weighted and flowing in the mouth, delivering creamy texture backed by well-balanced acidity. Attractively composed and expressed, making it immediately appealing.” Sam Kim, Wine Orbit.
Drink now to 2027.
Best paired with pan seared salmon or creamy crab pasta.
About the Producer
Byrne Estate
Byrne Vineyards has resulted from three generations of hard toil in the vineyards. In 1960, Eric and Romla Byrne purchased the Devlin’s Pound property near Overland Corner in South Australia and planted this limestone based vineyard with a range of grape varieties, most notably Shiraz, Cabernet and Chardonnay.
In 1995 they acquired the Morgan (Scotts Creek) vineyard which was established by then owners Penfold’s during the 1970s. Due its close proximity to the Barossa, excellent limestone soils and ideal climate these vineyards were for premium wine production.
Eric and Romla’s sons Rob and Terry Byrne are now joined by Rob’s daughter Petria and have continued the family passion for wine, vineyards and viticulture. Winemaker Peter Gajewski brings a wealth of experience to his role including a term as senior winemaker at Penfolds, mentored by Max Schubert.
Byrne Vineyards is a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, dedicated to continuously implement and improve sustainability initiatives. These include automated drip irrigation putting water directly into the roots of the vines, monitoring soil degradation or erosion to minimise further damage and close control of energy efficiency, chemical usage and waste management.
At the heart of their sustainability commitment is the environment at the Scotts Creek Vineyard – which is home to many rare and endangered species including over 73 native flora and fauna, and is one of South Australia’s largest natural wetlands.
