A contemporary house style with versatile drinkability, Filius is a vibrant and modern Chardonnay with pure fruit, wild complexities and mouth-watering natural acidity. An earlier drinking style with alluring savoury nuances from Vasse Felix’s quality-led, minimal intervention winemaking approach.
A year of peculiar weather where our commitment to organic viticulture was vital to the successful growth of quality, balanced fruit. A cool and wet spring prompted the need for an intense leaf plucking program to mitigate disease risk. December and January luckily were very warm and dry, then canopy management was a priority throughout February and March to combat unusually warm and moist conditions. A rainfall event in early February provided a timely drink for the red varietals, followed by warm weather which was ideal for the Chardonnay to achieve ripeness. A second rainfall incident in early March was followed by sunny and breezy conditions to dry off the fruit for healthy ripening. With our judicious canopy management and a crop of naturally resilient grapes, we are pleased to say that fantastic quality fruit was ripened and harvested with little-to-no disease in our vineyards.
"Best By Wines"
This label is fast becoming one of the benchmark value Chardonnays in this country. It’s a fine, relatively lean and textural wine but doesn’t skimp on fruit and flavour. There’s already some pleasing smoky, nutty and mineral complexity to add colour to its bright expression of lemon and grapefruit flavour, while it finishes with genuine drive and refreshingly tangy acidity. If the texture, savoury aspect and refreshing, briny tautness attracted you to the village Chablis of yesteryear, try this wine.
93 Points - Editors Choice
90 points
Crunchy, minerally and taut, a briney seam of acidity and phenolics strike through the heart of this wine and pull it through the finish. This 2021 Filius Chardonnay is the crunchy, vibrant end of the Chardonnay spectrum, not just within the Vasse Felix house style but within the regional context as well. This is a cleverly made, uncomplicated Chardonnay. I love the salted nuts through the finish.
90 Points
For a chardonnay reflecting regional attributes, and perhaps a bit of house style, this works well. It’s well made, managing the citrus, stone fruit and spice components with some funky sulphides and subtle oak. Good texture, too, and it’s one to enjoy without overthinking it.