The GC Chardonnay (GC – Gary Charles) is attributed to all the knowledge we have been able to extract from Gary to create a close planted / high density planting of chardonnay on an exposed côte. These hillsides facing North, North East and East will be the backbone of the Farr dynasty for decades to come.

They consist of the most suitable clones, rootstocks, trellising and management you will find for our landscape. This is our tribute to what ‘Gazza’ has achieved and provoked over 40 years not only in our region but for chardonnay and pinot noir of Australia.

The North côte is a red to brown loam with buckshot stones across the surface. The most exposed of the three côtes, the North côte is harvested last of all because of the large amount of clay, holding valuable moisture for a much longer time than the other slopes.

The East côte is divided through the centre of the slope by a rise. Black volcanic soil with fragmented limestone in one direction and grey loam with buckshot stones in the other direction. Soil is King as the East côte has the least amount of clay and therefore least water-holding capacity resulting in it being harvested first even though it is the coolest côte of the three.

‘Trying this at room temp, partly because I forgot to chill it, partly because I find it interesting. When I opened it, I’m wholly thrilled. There’s a moment of real excitement, which I can imagine seems nerdy, like a trainspotter spying a big dirty freight train rumbling toward them. It probably shouldn’t be this exciting, but it is. The wine that is, not the train so much. Depending on the background, the colour seems generous. Even with a white stone bench top behind it, it has a lovely golden shimmer. It smells perfect. At least to me it does. Wet stones, struck match, ginger, lime, stone fruit and white florals. The palate at this temperature is a riot. Intense and powerful, it’s electric and relentless, the fruit expression more than a match for it. This is the very definition of how tension makes wine so exciting. It’s balanced, and at full stretch, it delivers a perfect result. Could you soften it with a decant? sure, but then you’d miss the thrill. It’s hard to describe exactly why it’s so exciting, if you write it down, as I’ve done, it’s just words on a screen. If you get a chance to have some of these words in your glass, I’d suggest you don’t pass it up.’ Ben Knight for Nick Farr