PHI Chardonnay 2021 (Yarra Valley) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2019 De Bortoli Estate Vineyard Chardonnay last month, we go up a notch with tonight's white wine review - a fantastic single vineyard Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley in Victoria. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO, arriving a few months ago in the March 2 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is still available for purchase Online and in-person at Flagship Exclusive locations.

It is produced by De Bortoli Wines, one of Australia's leading family-owned wine companies. De Bortoli Wines was established in 1928 after Vittorio De Bortoli, an Italian immigrant from Treviso, arrived in New South Wales to discover that the flat plains and red earth were very different compared to his homeland and purchased a 55 acre mixed fruit farm. That same year, there was a glut of Shiraz grapes in the region and Vittorio was able to get 15 tonnes of Shiraz grapes for free since other farmers preferred to let them rot. Vittorio's wine was very popular among local Italians and other Europeans in the area, and they wanted to buy the wine off him. With this first of many successes, Vittorio established De Bortoli Wines.

Vittorio married his fiancée, Giuseppina, on the farm a year later, and the 1930s brought the second generation of the De Bortoli family with the births of Florrie, Deen, and Eola. The family business continued to grow over the years, while Deen left school (against his parents' wishes) at the age of 15 in 1951 to work at the family winery, and by 1957 he was itching to modernize it. In 1958, Deen married Emeri Cunial and the third generation of the De Bortoli family arrived with the births of Darren, Leanne, Kevin, and Victor. Deen was instrumental in expanding the family business during the 1970s, and in 1987, De Bortoli expanded into Yarra Valley, Victoria. In 1990, De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate was established and led by Leanne De Bortoli and her husband, Steve Webber, and together they welcomed the 4th generation of the family. Their daughter, Kate Webber, joined the family wine business and is the winemaker for this Chardonnay.

This particular white wine is from De Bortoli's PHI range of wines. PHI is the 21st letter of the Ancient Greek alphabet and symbolizes balance, harmony, and proportion. Similarly, with PHI wines, the third and fourth generations of the De Bortoli family are working together to create Single Vineyard wines that give proportion to climate, soil, and maker.

The Yarra Valley is one of Australia's premier cool climate wine regions and is located approximately 50 km northeast of Melbourne, near the towns of Yarra Glen and Healesville. This Chardonnay was grown at the Lusatia Park Vineyard in the town of Woori Yallock, one of the most iconic single vineyard sites in the Yarra Valley. The Lusatia Park Vineyard was purchased from the Shelmerdine family in 2016 and forms part of De Bortoli's plans to establish iconic vineyards to produce single plot fine wines. The 18 hectare, north-facing vineyard was first planted in 1985 at an altitude of 240 metres, while the soil is deep decomposed basalt that is quite rich in iron.

To craft this lovely Chardonnay, the grapes were hand-harvested in mid-to-late March, whole-bunch pressed, and allowed to settle overnight. The juice was then racked into older French oak casks where it underwent natural fermentation. The wine was then left on its yeast lees for 9 months, with occasional stirring.

It was a classic, cooler growing season in Yarra Valley and Lusatia Park in 2021. Spring featured timely rain, while ripening season temperatures tracked long-term averages. From a good-to-excellent vintage that featured idyllic growing conditions, let's see how this 2021 Chardonnay from Yarra Valley is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PHI CHARDONNAY 2021 - Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia (#33567) (XD) - $33.95
Vegan-friendly and enclosed by screw cap. The fragrant, perfumed, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely saline minerality aromas layered over green apple, lemon citrus, pear, savoury earth, and subtle spice notes. On the dry, medium-full bodied palate it has a creamy mouthfeel with lovely green apple, lemon citrus, and saline mineral flavours joined by accents of almond and mealy notes on the back palate. It's supported by fresh, lively, and slightly tangy acidity. A touch spicy on the mid-palate with a finely textured mouthfeel, while saline mineral, citrus, and apple notes linger on the long, balanced, and savoury finish. Enjoy to the early 2030s. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

The Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is still available at the LCBO, while the entire portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

Read More

De Bortoli Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is another fine Chardonnay from Australia. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO that landed on shelves across Ontario last month as part of the March 2nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by De Bortoli Wines, one of Australia's leading family-owned wine companies. Their story begins when Italian immigrant Vittorio De Bortoli journeyed from Castelcucco in Treviso to New South Wales and discovered that the flat plains and red earth are very different to his homeland. His fiancée, Giuseppina, arrived in Australia a couple of years later, and in 1928 Vittorio purchased a 55 acre mixed fruit farm. In 1928, there was a glut of Shiraz grapes and many farmers saw it as cheaper to let them rot. Instead, Vittorio took them for free and crushed 15 tonnes of Shiraz grapes. The resulting wine was very popular among local Italians and other European workers in the area as they offered to buy the wine off him. Thus, the creation of De Bortoli Wines, with Vittorio and Giuseppina getting married on the farm a year later.

The 1930s brought the second generation of the family - Florrie, Deen and Eola - and also brought high demand for De Bortoli Wines as train loads of 270 litre barrels were transported to Sydney and Queensland. The family business continued to grow over the years, and in 1951, against his parents' wishes, Deen left school at the age of 15 to begin working at the family winery. By 1957, Deen was now itching to modernize the production facility. In 1958, Deen marries Emeri Cunial and the third generation of the De Bortoli family arrived in the 1960s with the births of Darren, Leanne, Kevin, and Victor.

Deen De Bortoli was instrumental in expanding the family business (normally when his dad was out of town and unaware!) during the 1970s, during Australia's first major wine boom. As a newly qualified winemaker in 1982, Deen created the highly acclaimed Noble One - a wine that has won numerous awards over the years.

In 1987, De Bortoli expanded into Yarra Valley, Victoria, where this wine is from, by purchasing an existing winery and vineyard. De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate was established in 1990 and led by Leanne De Bortoli and her husband, Stephen (aka Steve), who is also a winemaker. Together, they welcomed the 4th generation of the De Bortoli family, and in 2007 Steve Webber was awarded Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine’s Winemaker of the Year.

Today, De Bortoli has grown to become one of Australia's largest and most respected wine producers, and is renowned for its commitment to quality winemaking, innovative practices, and sustainability. By the 2010s, De Bortoli made great strides in their sustainability initiatives and goal to become a "zero-waste" winery, while earning their first of many accolades for its achievements in sustainability that same decade. De Bortoli goes well beyond the mandatory requirements and is driven by both philosophical and pragmatic factors, but mostly by their desire to leave a legacy for future generations.

This white wine is crafted with 100% Chardonnay that was grown at the Estate Vineyard in Yarra Valley. The Estate Vineyard consists of a series of small plots of mature Chardonnay, with the oldest vines planted in 1976 and the youngest planted in 1994. These small plots are located within a few hundred metres of each other and consistently produce the finest, most detailed wines on the Estate. To craft this wine, the grapes were hand-harvested over 8 days beginning on the 19th of February, then whole-bunch pressed and allowed to settle for 4-6 hours. The juice was then racked to new and used French oak cask where it underwent natural fermentation. The lees were stirred in late Autumn, and the wine was then left to rest on its lees until November.

The growing season during 2019 was warm and early with timely rain. The conditions were very good and resulted in grapes with good, natural acidity and balanced flavours. Let's see how this 2019 Chardonnay from Yarra Valley is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DE BORTOLI ESTATE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2019 - Dixons Creek, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia (#33565) (XD) - $23.95
This vegan-friendly, 100% Chardonnay is barrel-fermented and aged, and enclosed by screw cap. The fresh, medium-high intensity nose offers lovely pear, apple, and buttery aromas with accents of lemon citrus and flinty minerality. It has good weight on the dry, medium-full bodied palate with spicy flavours of pear, apple, gentle oak spice, butter, and lemon citrus. It has a crisp, textured mouthfeel with good structure and very good, juicy acidity, while leesy mineral notes linger on the crisp and lengthy finish. Will provide pleasure over the next 4-5 years and is a highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other fine wines by De Bortoli Wines can be ordered through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

Read More