I haven't seen a Ross Hill wine since 2014 when I hosted a dinner featuring a number of NSW high country wines so it's great to be reacquainted. Owner James Robson spoke that night with tremendous passion about his wines and the Orange region. Luke Steele came on board as the new winemaker in 2019 and it seems things have gone up a notch since my last interaction with Ross Hill. Awarded 'Best in Show by Varietal' London Wine Competition 2022, this is a very clever Chardonnay.
It's a slightly different style to the 2013 - my last experience of this wine. Off the Home Block planted in 1996, the vineyard sits 750 metres above. The fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed before wild fermentation took place in new and seasoned French oak for nine months. Curiously the front label clearly states 'carbon neutral' wine - I can't recall seeing such a statement on a front label before. Well done, no less, to Ross Hill's commitment to the environment.
Butterscotch, wafer biscuits and vanilla hook me in early. There is lots to ponder here, that's for sure. It's calm with some cuddly factor, a whipped butter creamy drive muses throughout. Barbecued pineapple and nectarines highlight the fruit profile. I keep coming back to the well-integrated oak. It's measured and lets the fruit do its thing. A hint of lemon comes late and a grapefruit tang sizzles and persists much longer than expected. One for Chardy lovers to put on the radar.
Drink to eight years.
94/100
Region: Orange
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