{"product_id":"australia-10-minutes-by-tractor-10x-chardonnay-2024-mornington-peninsula","title":"Australia: Ten Minutes By Tractor - 10X Chardonnay 2024, Mornington Peninsula","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product__description rte quick-add-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrape variety: 100% Chardonnay. 13% alcohol. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile a light-hearted name - so-called as their three neighbouring vineyards are each 'ten minutes by tractor' apart - this estate happens to be one of the finest sources of Chardonnay \u0026amp; Pinot Noir not just in Australia but the whole world. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOwned and run by the Spedding family, their wines are legendary in wine circles and while they weren't the first producer on the Peninsula, their single-vineyard bottlings from the 2000 vintage onwards were quickly recognised as being amongst the very best. This is an epic producer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis might be Australia, yes, but ditch the stereotypes: this is a cool-climate region, just a ten minute drive (by car!) from the notoriously breezy Bass Strait. They even get a touch less ripeness here than at Danbury Ridge, Essex!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe producers on the Mornington Peninsula, around an hour's drive south of Melbourne, are all small-scale and unshowy, and mostly family owned and run. Quite a few run their own restaurants on site, making the area a foodie paradise. There are no corporate behemoths churning out mass-market brands here! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSustainability at Ten Minutes By Tractor: \u003c\/strong\u003ehere, we are talking small-batch wild ferments i.e. the use of indigenous yeasts naturally present in the vineyard and winery (instead of using mass-produced 'cultured' yeasts that come in a bag!) for spontaneous rather than winemaker-induced fermentation. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe estate is run along organic and regenerative lines which involves: preserving soil health and biodiversity, zero herbicide use, cover cropping, water efficiency, a lot of work by hand on canopy management to minimise disease risk naturally rather than via frequent spraying. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinemaking here is top-notch: spontaneous fermentations require much more focused and attentive winemaking, while oak is used here only to support\/frame the wines, not to flavour them. This wine spent \u003cspan\u003e5 months in French oak puncheons, only 10% of which were new. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaker's Tasting Notes: \u003c\/strong\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eBright citrus, white nectarine, and perfumed floral notes bring a lovely freshness and vitality to this wine. As the palate glides through, there is a creamy mouthfeel, light and soft, key lime and biscuit crumb edges giving texture and grip. Delightful.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood pairing:\u003c\/strong\u003e in their restaurant, the estate pairs this with h\u003cspan\u003eazelnut and ricotta homemade gnocchi with burnt butter and sage sauce. Being a crisp yet weighty Chardonnay, this will pair beautifully with seafood (just wonderful with lobster!), chicken and turkey, creamy mushroom and truffle dishes, and soft cheeses. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat the critics say:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"The wines from this estate have become classier and classier with each passing year. Indeed, it's fast heading for elite status\" - Campbell Mattinson \u0026amp; Gary Walsh\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Chardonnay at its seductive best - poised, assured and curvaceous but contained\" - Nick Ryan, The Australian  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e92 points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review: \u003c\/strong\u003e“Light, bright yellow colour; creamy lees, cashew and lemon curd aromas, fresh, clean and bright. Pristine fruit‑driven flavours, light‑medium weight and beautifully balanced, the finish dry, clean and more‑ish. Excellent value too.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTen Minutes By Tractor is \"a stand out; a benchmark\" - Jancis Robinson MW\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbutton class=\"share-button__button\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0948\/7741\/7819\/files\/10_Mins_By_Tractor_Logo.jpg?v=1779913620\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"svg-wrapper\"\u003e\u003csvg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"none\" class=\"icon icon-share\" viewbox=\"0 0 13 12\"\u003e\u003cpath stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M1.625 8.125v2.167a1.083 1.083 0 0 0 1.083 1.083h7.584a1.083 1.083 0 0 0 1.083-1.083V8.125\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M6.148 1.271a.5.5 0 0 1 .707 0L9.563 3.98a.5.5 0 0 1-.707.707L6.501 2.332 4.147 4.687a.5.5 0 1 1-.708-.707z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M6.5 1.125a.5.5 0 0 1 .5.5v6.5a.5.5 0 0 1-1 0v-6.5a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/button\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"#WineObsessed","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53126568247643,"sku":null,"price":29.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0948\/7741\/7819\/files\/10XChardBottle.png?v=1779910539","url":"https:\/\/wineobsessed.co.uk\/products\/australia-10-minutes-by-tractor-10x-chardonnay-2024-mornington-peninsula","provider":"#WineObsessed","version":"1.0","type":"link"}