2013 Scorpo Eocene Chardonnay

Scorpo

Australia / Mornington Peninsula / Scorpo

The flagship Chardonnay from Paul Scorpo's immaculate vineyard combines aromas grapefruit, lemon curd and savoury white spices with tremendous drive and mineral tension.

July, 2015

James Halliday

Halliday Magazine

96 points

From a 0.3ha block of mainly Dijon clone 95 and a small amount of P58, only made in exceptional vintages. Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (25% new), matured for 12 months. By shunning both MLF and lees stirring, Paul Scorpo goes along a different path to almost all of his confreres on the Mornington Peninsula. It could be mistaken for a 1yo Chardonnay, its structure, texture and flavour of exceptional delicacy.

January, 2017

Gary Walsh

The Wine Front

93 points

Struck match, hazelnut, stone fruit and preserved lemon. Medium bodied, flinty and firm, nectarine and citrus, firm acidity, but with flesh to carry it. Ripe grapefruity finish with some buttery development. Complex. Savoury. Nicely done.

Standard Bottle Out of Stock

About Scorpo

Scorpo has for some time sat comfortably within the highest rank of Australian cool-climate winegrowers, quietly composing excellent wines and steadily raising the bar year upon year. The planning, planting, nurturing and honing of the vineyard absorb the attention of trained horticulturist and landscape architect Paul Scorpo. The process of perfecting the site continues, with closer plantings and more precise clonal selections the latest developments. The vineyard rolls over red/brown, clay-rich soils derived from tertiary Eocene volcanics dating back about 40 million years. The vines are planted at an altitude of between 70 and 100m on a north- to northeast-facing slope with a 10% gradient. It’s a brilliant suntrap with ideal drainage to slowly grow and ripen grapes. The celebrated Pinot Gris is planted both here and on the other side of the ridge - the southwest-exposed slope towards Port Phillip Bay. The wines are consistently imbued with nuance, depth and texture. They are wines which - without ever raising their voice - resonate equally with the mind and senses.

About

Fine wine is in the Scorpo blood, stretching across generations and geography – from Sicily to Sardinia and now Australia. Paul has worked for over 25 years as a horticulturalist and landscape architect, and this professional and personal connection to the land has instilled the importance of care and consideration for environments at Scorpo Wines. The Scorpo family has a strong connection to their vineyard – the unique land, soil and climate are what enable them to produce distinctive wines with a sense of place. Paul and wife Caroline searched for four years to find the ideal site for their vineyard. Having extensively researched the Mornington Peninsula’s cool, maritime microclimates, they realised that this area was the perfect place for their project. Now this family is making the most of this heritage by growing premium grapes to express their beloved pocket of the peninsula.