Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaWe have been waiting for this wine to get to market, and the first ever chardonnay from Unsworth does not disappoint. The fruit comes off Mildenstein Vineyard, formerly Godfrey Brownell, and was handled with extreme care. A whole cluster press, a partial native ferment in neutral barriques, and ten months on lees with monthly bâtonnage leave it with a lot of verve. The style is fresh and nutty with persistent island acidity leaving every sip refreshing with a whack of green apple and citrus mixing with a stony, salty, mineral undercurrent. An impressive start, this chardonnay comes in under 12 percent alcohol while ringing a lot of bells for the future of this variety in the Cowichan Valley.Tasted: 26 September 2021Tasted by: Prices:
Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, CanadaThis is the inaugural release of Unsworth Chardonnay, and a wave we're going to see a lot more of with numerous chardonnay vines going into Island soils these past couple of years (right clones this time too!). This one comes off Mildenstein Vineyard (used to be Godfrey Brownell), and was whole cluster pressed, with partial native ferment, in neutral barriques. It remained here for MLF and 10 months on lees with monthly bâtonnage. Some oxidative handling of the fruit has given a lovely nutty, flinty, brown butter note that runs the length of this fresh, streamlined wine, drawing green apple, lemon pith and peel, stones, and a slight deck of lees through the saline finish. A lot going on for 11.7%, and more to look forward to as their knowledge of working chardonnay on the wine islands grows. Impressive first start.Tasted: 16 August 2021Tasted by: Prices:
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