2020 Scorpo Eocene Chardonnay

Scorpo

Australia / Mornington Peninsula / Scorpo

2020 Eocene Chardonnay is grown on the Scorpo family vineyard in Merricks North. It comprises clones 95, I10 and P58, picked on 18th March 2020. The grapes were pressed as whole bunches and went straight to barrel (20% new French oak, with the balanced 3 to 5 years old). It underwent natural fermentation with no malolactic conversion or lees stirring.
It is a fine, precise wine. The nose presents lemon and lime, supported by grapefruit and nashi pears. There are also notes of brioche, flint and florals such as lavender. The palate has a javelin-like structure, long and direct, with fine chalky phenolics layered either side. Lemon pith sits front and foremost on the palate while an oyster-shell saltiness brings it home with a refreshingly mineral finish.

Jane Faulkner

Halliday Wine Companion 2023

96 points.

Whole-bunch pressed straight to barrel, 20% new, wild yeast, no mlf or lees stirring, aged about 10 months. While there are layers of flavour and a depth to this, it doesn’t come across as too big or too much of a good thing, but just right. Citrus and stone fruit, spice and a subtle oak influence, long and pure across the palate, coming out rather savoury. Moreish, with great definition.

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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.