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Home > Our Wines

2016 Filius Chardonnay

Vasse Felix Chardonnay is typified by its bright, elegant fruit, subtle wild complexities and a tight acid structure, reflecting the vibrancy and purity of this variety in Margaret River. 'Filius' translates to 'son of' in Latin, reflecting the relationship between this wine and its premier 'father'.

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Tasting Notes

COLOUR Pale straw with a green tinge NOSE Very lifted, elegant and complex with honey nougat, green pineapple, lemon pith, lovely hints of nectarine, ginger, sage, custard tart crust, almond meal and cedar. PALATE Tight, restrained and complex with some creaminess immediately, but arriving quickly is fine, taut natural acidity carrying refined flavours. Lemon pith with hints of lime and custard tart are carried long on a dry finish to the palate which will soften and develop complexity with time.

Winemaker Notes

WINEMAKER'S NOTES All parcels were treated in respect of the unique qualities coming from our vineyard sites through natural fermentation with varying solids levels, fine French oak and battonage programs tailored to the individual batch. Following 9 months of maturation in oak the parcels of vibrant fruit and elegant fruit weight with complexity were combined to create a unique varietal Chardonnay from Margaret River. This year we underwent MLF as the acids were high at harvest.

Varietals:

Production Notes

100% Chardonnay

Alcohol:

Alcohol %

12.5

Cellaring Potential:

Aging

2-5 years

Harvested:

Harvest Date

February 2016

Oak:

Fermentation

100% French Oak, 9 months (19% new, 81% 1-4yo)

TA:

Acid

7.05g/L

pH:

pH

3.22

Residual Sugar:

Residual Sugar

1.22g/L

Bottled:

Bottling Date

November 2016

Vintage Notes

2016

VINTAGR DESCRIPTION

Moderate spring conditions at the end of 2015 helped establish a healthy fruitset and better yields than the previous two seasons. January temperatures were warm, interrupted by one rainfall event late in the month, great viticulture management, clean, well-trimmed canopies and subsequent warm weather prevented disease risk. White varieties were harvested throughout February with elegant flavours and bright natural acidity.

2016 Filius Chardonnay

Reviews

92 points

The West Australian Wine Guide 2018

A lighter and highly fragrant chardonnay that is really Vasse Felix's might good entry level. Its stylistically different with less winemaking, but the fruit intensity is good with lemony grapefruit characters and a subtle use of oak to add some spice to the finish.
94 points

Cameron Douglas MS (New Zealand)

Ripe and fruit centred bouquet with noticeable new oak showing juicy, nutty vanilla tones, light salty tone and Burgundian-like mineral tones; overall complex. On the palate - firm, fruity, fleshy and dry; flavours of citrus then stone fruit with grapefruit and lemon tones then peach and apple; medium+ (ish) acidity accentuated with new oak and fine tannins; a youthful wine overall. The combination of flavours and textures show a balanced and well made example that will stand the test of time if cellared well. Lengthy finish. Drink now and through 2028. (2015)
Fresh

Country Life

Is a beautiful greenish-gold colour and has fresh acidity and an almost Puligny-Montrachetesque refinement. (2015)
Vibrancy and purity

House and Garden - UK

I love a good Chardonnay - anything from taut, streamlined, mineral Chablis to fuller, richer, barrel-aged styles. But it has to be good. I draw the line at cheap, mass-produced Chardonnays that taste of tropical fruit, lemon-sherbet sweets and oak chips. I'm glad to have got that of my chest. Now to this week's wine: a Chardonnay that edges discreetly towards the fuller style, but balances its rich lemony fruit, toasted wheat and cashew-nut flavours with a lingering vibrancy and purity. It comes from the Margaret River region south of Perth in Western Australia and from the first estate to be established there, Vasse Felix back in 1967. Happy 50th birthday. Drink it any time over the next three years with chicken, pork, fish cakes or fish pie, or dishes with cheese. (2015)
90 points

Toronto Star

Bright, cresting notes of lemon -- lemon squirt, lemon zest, lemon oil -- as well as ginger and bitter lime characterize this taut, tart drop. It's a stark reminder Australia makes so much more than fruit-drenched, sunshine-in-a-glass styles of wine when the grapes hail from cooler regions -- such as Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and the chillier, maritime microclimates in Margaret River. Serve this exciting little number with teriyaki salmon and rice.
91 points

JamesSuckling.com

A very fresh and clean white with sliced apple, lemon and peach. Medium to full body, bright acidity. Cream and hints of vanilla. Vivid finish. Screw cap. Drink now.
Hard to beat

Winsor's Choice Blog

Filius (son of in Latin) may be the entry-level chardonnay in the impressive Vasse Felix line-up but for immediate drinking pleasure, it is hard to beat. The first winery to be planted in Margaret River remains a national treasure with winemaker Virginia Willcock very much at the top of her game. This has vibrant but elegant fruit characters (think citrus and finger limes), and tight acid backbone. There is a certain willfulness here thanks to nine months of maturation in older oak and battonage treatment. The more expensive estate chardonnay and the flagship Heytesbury also shine from this vintage, but this is the one to enjoy right. $28.
"On song"

The Times UK

On song, elegant, citrus, yellow apple and pineapple-scented charmer.
Generous, yet refined

'Son of' the Vasse Felix Chardonnay and made with the same winemaking philosophy. It has a generous, yet refined fruit profile, from parcels grown in each of the Vasse Felix Vineyards. Made since 1990.
91 Points

Wine Spectator

Vibrant dried pineapple, toast and lemon curd flavors are expressive and detailed, showing off notes of fresh ginger, lemon verbena and white pepper. Transparent and juicy on the finish. Drink now through 2023.
92 points

WBM - Tyson Stelzer

A bargain Margaret River Chardonnay brimming with the fleshy white peach of the region and tense, lively acidity of a cool February, toned wonderfully with the supple, buttery texture of malolactic fermentation. It finishes long, spicy and crunchy.
91 points

James Suckling

A very fresh and clean white with sliced apple, lemon and peach. Medium to full body, bright acidity. Cream and hints of vanilla. Vivid finish. Screw cap. Drink now.
Jean Aubry, Le Devoir (Montreal)

Way out west, on the coast, Margaret River delivers fruit that is extremely luminous, as precise as it is well-defined. Vasse Felix keeps only the essentials, ageing to smooth out the edges while retaining tension and length. By its very essence, a wine of place and of fruit. Long, clean finish. (5+ = cellar 5 years +) 3.5 stars out of 5 © = decant before serving; group average 3 stars
Best of the Best 2019 - 14 Best Wines Uncorked This Year

Robb Report

"For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Chardonnay and Australia are not synonymous. But in one southwestern corner of the country, on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by ocean, sits the Margaret River growing region, ideal for maturing Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes. Winemaker Virginia Willcock makes the most of the area’s Mediterranean-like climate on an estate where the region’s first commercial vines were planted, in 1967—Vasse Felix. The 2016 Chardonnay ($45) smells of lemon pie crust and tropical pineapple, with a taste of buttery croissant and nougat on the palate. But it has enough acid to keep it vibrant and zingy. The wine spends nine months on the lees in French oak that’s a mix of old and new. Willcock is a passionate proponent of the use of wild, native yeasts in Australian winemaking, and this wine benefits from that innovation, as well as from hand-harvesting and a gentle, whole-cluster press."
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