Hillcrest Vineyard Premium Chardonnay 2005 Tuesday, Oct 31 2006
Tasting Notes and Australia and Yarra Valley and Wines of the Month and Tip Top Tipple and Variety and White and chardonnay

So now I am drinking what I think is a top quality chardonnay but JP otherwise known as ‘Chardonnay Sharon’ or more favourably ‘The Chardonnay Queen’ is not here to provide her expert opinion. So no subtle sideways look to suggest that I am an idiot. Looks like I am just going to have to wing it… This looks like being the best Hillcrest Chardonnay since the outstanding 2002 vintage. Maybe better. There are only a measly two (2) barrels made and they sent up two (2) bottles because they still choose to seal it with the nefarious cork. Nice cork though. Very smooth and silky and I am sure it would bounce most pleasingly off someones head if I threw it at them. There has to be a good use for cork after all…
Aromas of stonefruit, grapefruit, oatmeal, smoke and plenty of fine spicy cashew nut oak. On the palate great intensity of flavour. A powerful wine with grapefruit, stonefruit, mineral and a slight tropical edge featuring tastefully applied gingery oak. It is savoury yet fruit sweet with clean crisp acidity and impeccable balance through the length of the palate. Finishes long and spicy with crisp grapefruit and ginger spice. This is a very rare and special wine.
Rated : 96 PointsTasted : Oct06
Alcohol : 13.3%
Price : $48
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2008 - 2012
Source : Winery Sample
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43 Responses to “Hillcrest Vineyard Premium Chardonnay 2005”
October 31st, 2006 at 10:27 pm
Wow!! Good on Hillcrest
I will have to track some down.
October 31st, 2006 at 10:29 pm
None left for you. I have cornered the market…
GW
October 31st, 2006 at 10:33 pm
Pity the owner is such a Luddite.
October 31st, 2006 at 10:48 pm
Gary, is Rick Kinzbrunner the winemaker for the ‘05 vintage?
October 31st, 2006 at 10:52 pm
Keppell Smith or Phillip Jones. Not sure which.
GW
October 31st, 2006 at 11:06 pm
Lucky you have two bottles!
Right ….?
:(
JP
October 31st, 2006 at 11:12 pm
Another one for Adam
November 1st, 2006 at 9:13 am
Wine made by David Bryant with oracle like guidance provided by Phillip Jones.
Two (2) bottles yes..we will be purchasing a further number (?).
GW
November 1st, 2006 at 9:32 am
Victor, is your surname “Yawn”?
November 1st, 2006 at 11:27 am
Do you like great Chard Adam?
November 1st, 2006 at 11:31 am
Give it rest please Victor. I’d rather not have to clean up another mess after you two. Thanks very much.
GW
November 1st, 2006 at 11:36 am
Yes, I like Davids wines…especially sorry to hear about his recent crop loss. Even more reason to jump on these current releases, if you can find them.
November 1st, 2006 at 1:24 pm
I thought this was Chardonnay Sharon: http://www.kathandkim.com/img/character_sharon_pic.gif
November 1st, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Isn’t she Cardonnay Sharon?
November 1st, 2006 at 2:28 pm
Mine just arrived 30 minutes ago
November 1st, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Trial by retailer…
GW
November 1st, 2006 at 3:04 pm
yep, packaging is an easy 95 points. like the black label. i like it
November 1st, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Re-tasting this tonight. Hardly moved in a day. Extended the start of the drinking window to 2008 to let the oak integrate further and happy with 95-96 points.
GW
November 1st, 2006 at 8:13 pm
You’d better save the other bottle for JP…
November 1st, 2006 at 8:27 pm
Same bottle sunshine.
GW
November 1st, 2006 at 8:28 pm
I showed this around today, and a lot of restaurantuers went gaga. Even at a list price for them of $120 ish
I pretty much don’t have anymore to sell.
I’m begging DCB. Yes you.
The thing I reckon you missed in your note Gaz is that this is all about minerality. And it’s textural, and it’s powerful. It’s not that boring austere ‘but’ mineral chard.
Once that acid backs off a touch you can see that the pure fruits are fat enough to punch through.
I can’t rap it enough, and I don’t have any.
November 1st, 2006 at 8:28 pm
lucky for you!
November 1st, 2006 at 8:29 pm
oh, sorry Dan, that was for GW!
November 1st, 2006 at 8:40 pm
Not that I am being defensive and calling you a ‘nob head’ or anything but…
‘great intensity of flavour. A powerful wine…. mineral ……savoury yet fruit sweet with clean crisp acidity and impeccable balance….’
Just about covers that……
GW
November 1st, 2006 at 8:56 pm
knob head clarke hehe (you better have some of it for me sunno)
November 1st, 2006 at 9:11 pm
Buzz, i was going to call you today. I was in your area. just so you could see it. but thought you would be busy. Any man that can’t fit in golf is too busy for me sunno.
Is this the chat room?
November 1st, 2006 at 9:14 pm
No..this is… www.winorama.com.au/chat
GW
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:55 pm
All this site needs is a forum…any plans Gary??
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:08 pm
http://www.winorama.com.au/chat
Hey, where am I ?…oh, I am now back at Winorama….phew.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:36 pm
No forum. No way.
GW
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:14 pm
How about a putting a scratch and sniff option in with every review?
November 2nd, 2006 at 10:09 pm
What would the difference be between this and a forum? Humour me!
November 2nd, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Well the differences would be…
* There are only three people writing the notes
* There are only wine reviews
* Pretty pictures
GW
November 7th, 2006 at 8:45 pm
This is going to be a super wine. If I manage to source some more bottles I doubt I will be drinking any in the next year or two. It really is the bees knees. Lovely fruit on entry, great mouthfeel and finishes with a real sour tang of acid that will come together. Really nailed the TN Gary ( and the drinking window). Tasted this blind so no preconceptions. Well done to DCB & Tanya.
November 28th, 2007 at 9:03 am
When are you going to try the 06 Shifty?
November 28th, 2007 at 11:22 am
When they send it in..is it released? I tried it late last year and it looked very good. Bugger all of it again from memory.
GW
November 28th, 2007 at 11:47 am
I think dcb sent out the mailer last week. not sure.
I just sent him a text to send it to you.
November 28th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I feel so marginalised…
GW
November 28th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
A sample of the 06 Premium will be wasted on you
Give it to your son, he already has a better palate.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
He smells like biscuits!
GW
January 7th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I am having a glass of the ‘06 and it is quite delicious. It is very more-ish.
January 7th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Yes..and Top Quality but very very tight. I had better write it up soon..you are an acid freak.
GW
January 7th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Yeah man.