2023 Vasse Felix Chardonnay

A sharp, textural Chardonnay that captures the balance and character of Margaret River, built for both easy drinking and the long haul.

Price:
Sale price$42.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
Rendering loop-subscriptions
 More payment options

Description

Vasse Felix has been nailing Margaret River Chardonnay since 1967, and this 2023 release is right on the money. Hand-picked fruit, wild fermentation in French oak, and nine months on lees give it depth without overcomplicating things. It’s polished but relaxed, just like the region itself.

It’s all about purity and texture - bright citrus and stone fruit with a subtle edge of flint, balanced by a savoury, mineral finish. There’s weight, but it’s clean and focused, with just enough oak influence to add shape without getting in the way.

It’s drinking beautifully now but has the bones to age for a few years if you like your Chardonnay with a bit more maturity. Either way, it’s classic, reliable, and effortlessly good.

94 points
"Struck match, grapefruit, lemon oil, light spicy oak, and cashew with honey florals and fennel. Juicy but tight, with nectarine, honeydew, and citrus. Creamy cashew and bright grapefruit tang on a long finish. A strong release."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

94 points
"Deeply complex nose with lemon confit, quince, lime curd, and grapefruit rind. Medium-bodied palate with focused acidity, notes of pineapple, white chocolate nougat, gun smoke, and orange blossoms. Balanced power and freshness."
- JamesSuckling.com

94 points - "Some struck match, grapefruit, lemon oil, light spicy oak and cashew, honey florals, and fennel. Juicy but tight, with good intensity and flavour, though it’s still pretty light on its feet, a little nectarine and honeydew melon in with citrus, creamy cashew, light struck match, with a bright grapefruit tang on a finish of excellent length. A strong release of this wine, I think." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

94 points - "The nose is deeply complex and inviting, with aromas of lemon confit, quince, lime curd and grapefruit rind. The palate is medium-bodied with focused acidity and a generous mouthfeel, giving notes of fresh pineapple, white chocolate nougat, gun smoke and orange blossoms. A good balance of power and freshness." - JamesSuckling.com

91 points - "Mid-straw and vibrant in the glass. Lifted aromas of grilled nuts, nougat, stone fruit, melon and sweet pastry. Rich and mouth-filling, with plenty of ripe, fleshy fruit. The oak shapes the fruit nicely and brings a nuttiness as well as framework. The acidity is punchy and snappy and keeps all in check." - Aaron Brasher (The Real Review)

Vasse Felix Premier Chardonnay
A quintessential Margaret River Chardonnay, crafted from a selection of Vasse Felix’s premier plots. This wine reflects the modern Margaret River style—elegant, powerful, and restrained—enhanced by the wild complexity that distinguishes Vasse Felix Chardonnay.

Appearance
Bright, pale lemon yellow.

Nose
Resolved and fine, with complex perfumes of lemon custard, accented by fennel seed and yellow flowers. The influence of yeast lees is evident, bringing aromas of shortbread, lemon meringue, and crunchy nectarine.

Palate
A tight, elegant palate with impressive fruit weight and underlying power. It is beautifully mouthwatering, featuring subtle saline minerality and polished acidity. The finish is dry and savoury, with delicate notes of nectarine and wood spice.

Winemaker Comments
Selected premier Chardonnay sections from the Wilyabrup and Wallcliffe vineyards, both located on the lean coastal ridge soils, were used to produce this concentrated, low-yielding wine.

Some sections were hand-harvested, gently whole-bunch pressed, and transferred as unclarified juice to French oak barriques for fermentation.
The remaining fruit was Selectiv harvested and direct pressed with high solids, cloudy juice, then racked to barrel.
All batches were fermented with wild yeasts from the vineyard and matured on lees for 9 months in barrel, followed by an additional 6 months of blending for harmonisation.
The majority of the wine is made from Gingin clone (78%), contributing strength, power, and structure. The remaining Bernard clones 95, 96, and 76 provide lightness, softness, and creaminess for palate balance.

Vintage Description
A cool, dry spring delayed vine development by 2–3 weeks, but consistent mild conditions in December, January, and February allowed the vines to catch up, producing well-balanced fruit.
Yields and bunch weights were highlights, with bright acidity and sound flavour ripeness developing in the Chardonnay.
March brought three small rain events, the most significant post-white harvest.
Cool evenings, moderate daytime temperatures, and afternoon sea breezes ensured gentle, consistent tannin ripening.
High bird pressure led to the largest netting program since 2019. Despite this, vineyard plots displayed excellent balance and vine health.
Winemaking Details
Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Harvested: 14 February – 10 March 2023
Pressing: Hand-harvested, chilled, whole bunch pressed; Selectiv harvested, direct pressed
Juice Turbidity: Full solids from whole bunch pressing (average 550 NTU)
Fermentation: 100% wild yeast
Fermentation Vessel: French oak barrique
Maturation: 15 months total (9 months in oak, 6 months blended in tank)
Oak Profile: 28% new, 72% 1–3 years old
Bottled: 4 June 2024
Wine Analysis
TA: 6.4 g/L
pH: 3.12
Malic Acid: 0.23 g/L (MLF complete)
Residual Sugar: 0.79 g/L
Alcohol: 13.0%
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Cellaring
Enjoy fresh now or cellar for 5+ years to develop complex, aged characteristics.

Price Bracket $41 to $50
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Margaret River
Australian State WA
Reviewed By The Real Review
James Suckling
The Wine Front
Critic Score 94
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Shipping

Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more!

For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you. 

Melbourne (Anonymous Wine Freight): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions, the courier will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so. if not, they will return the item to their dispatch centre and hold until further instruction from you.

Australia Post: Australia Post will leave the parcel if they have been given authority to leave and it is deemed safe to do so. To give your Authority to Leave, please enter this in the 'SPECIAL REQUEST' box at checkout.

Ordering

We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. If you see a lower price elsewhere, just get in touch and we will sort it out for you. We handle all our price-matching on a case by case basis.

Some things to keep in mind: 

  • Retrospective price-matching is available for 30 days after you have purchased from us.
  • The price match cannot be used in conjunction with a coupon or one-off deal we are offering. The idea is for you to get the best price in the market so if that is already achieved through a coupon then we won't price match on top of that.
  • We don't price match clearance or fire sales.
  • We’ll match the listed price as long as it is a legitimate offer and the competing store is actually able to fulfil the order (they have stock or more stock is en route). Essentially we won't price match cheeky vendors listing wines they have no hope of actually getting for you...
  • It must be a publicly listed price. We won't match a price that has been achieved through a coupon/cash-back arrangement, or through a non-advertised offer over the phone or otherwise.  
  • It is limited to a reasonable retail quantity.

We'll treat each price match request on its merit and reserve the right to refuse where we deem fit. For example, particularly rare wines, from non-trust-worthy vendors, in circumstances we deem illegitimate or if we feel our policy is being unfairly taken advantage of.

At the end of the day, we'll look after you and use common sense to ensure you're getting the best price, please just don't take the p%$$!

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Call Us

Send a message