Margaret River 2024 Vintage Chardonnay Tasting
Last month, vignerons and winemakers from across the Margaret River region assembled in the Vasse Felix Art Gallery to explore the world of Margaret River Chardonnay, tasting unfinished barrel samples from the 2024 vintage, generously contributed by producers throughout the region.
This year, 136 samples were contributed by 44 Margaret River producers for this insightful annual tasting. The event attracted a wonderful turnout of viticulturists and winemakers, providing a great opportunity to share knowledge and experiences.
As with the Cabernet tasting earlier in the year, samples were provided from the “Provenance Project”, led by the Department of Primary Industry and Agriculture. The Provenance Project focuses on selecting different parcels of Gingin clone Chardonnay from various sites throughout Margaret River, then applying the same winemaking principles to each parcel, highlighting specific site differences.
Discussions on the 2024 vintage were led by Remi Guise (Naturaliste Vintners) and Mike Bolas (Fraser Gallop), who both commented on the strength of the 2024 samples, despite a short, sharp vintage.
After tasting the wines, Remi remarked on their exceptional balance. He emphasised that this balance is achieved through both intuitive viticulture and winemaking, along with the rigor and discipline that underpin these practices. This not only highlights the quality of the wines but also showcases the resilience of the Margaret River region.
Mike shared data indicating that the 2024 vintage wasn’t too dissimilar from warmer vintages in the past. He noted that, at the end of the day, the fruit was clean, fresh, and surprisingly physiologically ripe.
Follow @vassefelixwines for more snaps from this collaborative regional event.