Handpicked Wines has built a reputation for producing wines that genuinely express the character of the regions and vineyards they come from. The Regional Selection range captures the signature style of each region, and in the Yarra Valley, that means a Chardonnay of brightness, precision and understated elegance.
The Yarra Valley is widely recognised as one of Australia's premier cool-climate wine regions, located in the rolling hills east of Melbourne at elevations ranging from approximately 50 to over 400 metres. The region's cool summers, low humidity and long autumn ripening windows are ideal for producing Chardonnay with high natural acidity, vibrant fruit character and genuine cellaring potential. In comparison to warmer regions, Yarra Valley Chardonnay tends toward refinement and freshness over richness.
For this wine, hand-harvested fruit is whole-bunch pressed and settled in tank before fermentation part in stainless steel to retain fresh fruit flavours, part in barrel for added complexity. Partial malolactic fermentation rounds the acidity slightly while maintaining the wine's characteristic crispness. The result is a Chardonnay that shows why the Yarra Valley consistently punches above its weight when it comes to white wine production.