Byrne Farm Chardonnay 2022
I visited Byrne Farm in Orange in July 2023 and had the pleasure of meeting and tasting with Canadian-born winemaker Jeff Byrne. Jeff visited Australia in 1995 and ended up marrying his Australian wife Bridgette in 2000, after which he moved to the Hunter and worked for none other than Len Evans at the newly built Tower Estate. A degree in Wine Science at Charles Sturt at Wagga followed, as did stints in Burgundy at Domaine D’Eugenie, which sharpened his passion for pinot noir and chardonnay. In 2008 Jeff joined the Agnew Wines family where he became the Chief Winemaker overseeing the production of Audrey Wilkinson, Poole’s Rock and Cockfighert’s Ghost wines for 11 years.
In 2019 Jeff and Bridgette made the move to Orange, purchasing “Glenidle“ which sits at 900m and had operated as an apple and cherry orchard from the early 1900’s. The couple planted vines in 2020 and in the meantime source fruit from top local growers.
This wine is certified organic, with the chardonnay fruit sourced from three plots within the Balmoral block at Nashdale, with volcanic chocolate ferrosol soils at 880 meters altitude, on the northeast-facing slope of Mount Canobolas. At almost 30 years of age, these are some of the oldest vines in the region.
Like 2021, the 2022 vintage was a very cool year with picking occurring about four weeks later than usual. The fruit was hand-picked in early April and whole-bunch pressed to French oak puncheons (500 litre) for primary fermentation. Byrne used 30% low-impact new oak—a very tight-grain, steam-bent barrel from the Mâconnais region of Burgundy—which he feels helps lift and focus the fruit without adding overt flavour. This year the wine went through just 10% malo to give texture and to round out some acidity. If we can borrow a phrase from the man himself, he’s using the malo akin to “hanging clothes on a clothesline”. He’s got a good line in similes, does Jeff. The wine rested in oak for ten months, with regular stirring to add flesh before blending and bottling.
"This wine shows green apple, white peach and green melon fruits with flinty, textured notes balanced with a mineral, crisp finish."
Winemaker's notes.
"It's flush with fleshy citrus, chalky and saline minerals, some toasty richness and lovely struck match reduction. Like the 2021, it's a wine of poised weight, deftly balanced by cool acidity, linear length and a beautiful grapefruit tinged, lengthy close. Serious bang for your buck here."
Bibendum Wine Co.
| SKU | 2BYRFARCH22 |
| Brand | Byrne Farm |
| Shipping Weight | 1.5000kg |
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