Great to see our introductory 2013 Chardonnay featured in the latest James Halliday Wine Companion magazine.
Estate-grown, made at Yering Station and matured in French oak for 11 months. Classic Yarra Valley chardonnay, with great length and depth; white peach and nectarine fruit fill the mouth, but the acidity cuts short any tendency to go over the top, the oak also contributing to the structure. Rating 95.
Huon Hooke, in a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Good Food Guide, asks the question, "Just how good are Australian and New Zealand wines made from the Burgundy grapes chardonnay and pinot noir compared with the real thing?"
"As a generalisation, the Aussie wines were bright, clean and fresh, and you could have absolute confidence you were tasting the wine as the winemaker intended it. Several showed superbly, the Toolangi Reserve 2013 ($80) being the room's favourite in the final flight."
Read more about the two day ChardonnayPinot15 Masterclasses.
Huon Hooke was one of the Judges at our 2015 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Masterclass event held in July 2015.
He has written some interesting observations about the two Masterclasses benchmarking Yarra Valley wines with the best of the world.
"The chardonnaypinotnoir15 event held in the Yarra Valley last weekend was a lot of fun, and highlighted just how the gap between the best of Burgundy and the rest of the world has narrowed. It’s not long ago that in such blind comparative tastings, experienced tasters had little difficulty identifying the French wines from those of Australia, New Zealand and other places. These days, it is quite difficult. As well, experienced tasters are increasingly likely to favour Aussie and Kiwi wines over the Burgundy benchmarks, it seems to me." Read more here
"One of the lessons from last weekend’s chardonnaypinotnoir15 event in the Yarra Valley was the different approach of Burgundy winemakers compared to Australians and New Zealanders. Our winemakers seek to highlight fruit in their wine whereas the Burgundians de-emphasise fruit and varietal character, seeking instead structure and aging ability." Read more here
Prior to the event the Panel members gathered for a special dinner at the Healesville Hotel with Andrew Fleming from Coldstream Hills, and Julie and Garry from Toolangi Vineyards.
"At the beginning of the recent Chardonnaypinotnoir2015 that I wrote about two weeks ago, hosted in the Yarra Valley by Toolangi and Coldstream Hills, a very special dinner was given for the members of the ‘expert panel’. The hosts were Toolangi owners Garry and Julie Hounsell, and Garry dipped into his private cellar for some astonishing bottles, mostly – no surprise here – red and white Burgundies. The dinner was held at the Healesville Hotel in a cosy private room and the food did the wines proud." Read more about the dinner here
Coldstream Hills and Toolangi Vineyards join forces to offer you an exclusive weekend of international benchmark tasting masterclasses, showcasing leading Yarra Valley chardonnays and pinot noirs against the best in the world.
An expert judging panel of James Halliday, Huon Hooke, and Bob Campbell MW will guide enthusiasts through two in-depth masterclasses - chardonnay on Saturday, and pinot noir on Sunday. The masterclasses will showcase Yarra Valley’s finest examples of each variety, tasted with benchmark selections from around the globe. 21 exceptional wines will be tasted blind at each session, with identities known but order hidden.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to savour and compare some of the world's great chardonnays and pinot noirs.
With 2015 marking the 30th and 15th anniversaries of Coldstream Hills and Toolangi respectively, a special Birthday Dinner will be held on the Saturday evening. Guests will join the judging panel, together with Toolangi owners Garry and Julie Hounsell, and Coldstream Hills winemaker Andrew Fleming, for a celebratory evening. Dinner will include a sumptuous three course meal highlighting the Yarra Valley's best local produce, matched to current wines from Coldstream Hills and Toolangi - with some surprise additions from the cellar.
CHARDONNAY 15 MASTERCLASS
1-4pm, Saturday July 11
A tutored tasting of 21 Yarra Valley and international chardonnays will be led by the judging panel. This will be a great opportunity to savour some of the highest quality chardonnays produced. You will experience spirited discussions and examination of the best of the chardonnay variety, here is a small selection:
2012 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne
2012 Bachelet Monnot Batard Montrachet
2013 Toolangi Reserve Chardonnay
2013 Hoddles Creek 1er Chardonnay
2013 Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay
PINOT NOIR 15 MASTERCLASS
1-4pm, Sunday July 12
A tutored tasting of 21 Yarra Valley and international pinot noirs will be led by the judging panel. You will experience informed discussions and commentary on the intriguing pinot noir variety. This will be a unique opportunity to taste some of the best pinot noirs in the world, tastings will include:
2012 Chateau de la Tour Clos Vougeot
2012 Armand Rousseau Grand Cru
2012 Benjamin Leroux Volnay "Les Mitans"
2013 Coldstream Hills Reserve Pinot Noir
2013 Serrat Pinot Noir
COLDSTREAM HILLS + TOOLANGI BIRTHDAY DINNER
7pm, Saturday July 11
Join the expert panel for a delicious celebratory dinner matched with the best of Coldstream Hills and Toolangi current releases. Dress: Smart casual.
+613 9827 9894 or email
info@chardonnaypinot15.com
RACV Healesville Country Club
122 Healesville-Kinglake Road
Healesville VIC 3777
A special offer is available from Healesville Country Club for those attending the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir events. Mention ChardonnayPinot15 event when booking. Or www.visityarravalley.com.au
Join Gourmet Traveller Wine and host Mike Bennie at Gazebo Restaurant in Sydney on May 21, 2015 for a competitive event were the finest wines from Yarra Valley are pitted against the best from New Zealand's Marlborough region.
Great opportunity to taste and discuss the Toolangi 2011 Block F Chardonnay.
Bookings: www.eventopia.co/gazebotasting
We were delighted to have James Halliday taste a selection of Toolangi's 2013 vintage for The Australian Weekend Magazine.
James also explains the methods used by Toolangi to create these award winning wines.
"All carefully chosen horses for courses, all winners."
Read the full story
The reviews and ratings:
Toolangi Estate Chardonnay 2013
Estate-grown, made at Oakridge Estate, and matured in French oak for 11 months;
fine and elegant, the wine has the length and finesse that comes in large
measure from the vineyard, but also has the unmistakable thumbprint of David
Bicknell in the guise of the complex bouquet. Drink to 2028. Rating 96
Toolangi Pauls Lane Pinot Noir 2013
Estate-grown, hand-picked, and made at Hoddles Creek Estate; matured in French oak barriques for 10 months. Exemplary colour; the fragrant, lightly-spiced bouquet leads into a palate that has what the French call nervosity, an almost three dimensional combination of tactile and flavour characters that are woven together to provide exceptional energy and length. Drink to 2028. Rating 97
Toolangi Pauls Lane Shiraz 2013
Estate-grown; made at Coldstream Hills and at Hoddles Creek Estate where it was
blended and bottled after 18 months maturation in French oak; the colour is
deep and clear, the palate with considerable presence and complexity, its
savoury assemblage of red and black cherry fruits and supporting tannins
providing a mouth-watering finish and aftertaste. Will be very long-lived. Drink to 2038. Rating 95
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We've had some great reviews of our 2012 Pauls Lane Pinot Noir.
The label evokes the landscape of our Yarra Valley Vineyard on Pauls Lane, which is adjacent to the beautiful Toolangi State Forest.
James Halliday awarded this special estate-grown, hand-picked wine 95 points. "..the bouquet is fragrant and expressive, the medium-bodied palate following suit, with cherry and plum fruit in the ascendant, oak evident, but in balanced harmony; silky tannins sustain the long finish." Drink to 2021.
Great to be listed in the latest Weekend Australian James Halliday Top 100 Wines Magazine.
There were 20 Chardonnays chosen. James refers to them as "superb, modern world-class Chardonnays."
Happy to be in such fine company.
"A single block was hand-picked and made at Hoddles Creek Estate by Franco D'Anna in his usual restrained style, except for a surge of stone fruit on the back-palate and finish, 11 months in French oak hardly breaking the water. First class wine. Rating 96."
It's great weather for Chardonnay. Meet us at the Yarra Valley Dairy on Sunday 26 October to taste the six Chardonnays in the Toolangi range.
A rare opportunity to experience the 2008 Reserve Chardonnay. Nick Stock from the Good Wine Guide calls this wine "A Breathtaking chardonnay - symphonic!"
We are very excited today to have our 2011 Chardonnay awarded the Vintage Cellars White Wine of 2014!
For more information download the PDF
