2013 Allegra Chardonnay
96 Points - Halliday
The fruit for the Allegra Chardonnay was sourced entirely from the historic Rebenberg Vineyard on Mount Duneed, an area first planted with vines in 1858. The premium fruit comes from over 35 year old vines yielding less than one tonne/acre, and was hand-picked at 13.2 Bé and pH 3.25. Fruit was whole bunch pressed and run into 100% new French oak puncheons (450-500L) without prior clarification. Fermentation occurred with indigenous yeast. Following the end of fermentation, malolactic fermentation occurred in barrel with natural yeasts. Wines were left in barrel on gross lees for a further 15 months prior to marriage and bottling. Extended bottle maturation of this wine will allow the tight complex character of this wine to develop.
"A re-release of the 2013 Allegra Chardonnay, which is part of a program to celebrate 30 years of Lethbridge in 2026. This is brighter and almost younger looking than the just-released Allegra 2020! Honied with aromas of dried apricots, fresh ginger and toasted walnuts. Still quite tightly structured on the palate. The finish is chalky and long and, while it's certainly ready to drink now, this will still be drinking well three to five years from now." Philip Rich, Halliday July 2025, 96 Points
"Low yielding 35yo vines from Rebenberg Vineyard at Mt Duneed, whole-bunch pressed to neq French oak puncheons, wild yeast, mlf and left on lees for 15 months. Wow - what a wines. At once full-bodied, rich and complex, yet vibrantly fresh and tight. The palate is stunning - a gorgeous lemon ginger-infused clotted cream character, savoury and asuper length." 96 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
"Great to see a wine that delivers such a robust amount of flavor and perfume, without losing structure and drinkabilty. It’s a have your cake and eat it wine!
Strange thing to say, but close your eyes, and you could almost imagine a Pinot Noir. There’s a good deal of high quality oak laying down sweet spiced biscuits and perfume over white cherries and plum, nectarine, and aniseed too. Medium weight, with juicy ruby red grapefruit acidity and flavour, distinctly flinty and delightful texture, offering a heady mix of restraint and power. Finish is long, spicy and crisply mouth-watering. Great Chardonnay, and I suspect, there’s more to come." 95+ points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
