This is the line and length model of the 2011 McHenry Hohnen Chardonnays although you won’t mistake it for anything coming out of the Yarra Valley. The Rocky Road vineyard is also situated in the south of the Margaret River region, near Witchcliffe. It has flavour but restraint, structure and focus are the calling cards.
Strong tangy citrus, nashi pear sidling up to nectarine and baking spice. Maybe a little cookie dough, although those descriptors can be put to the side. It’s more about wet pebbles, immaculate form, understatement and intense persistence. There’s some struck match complexity and an undercurrent of wildness but the surface is pure and the finish is tight. If I were to cellar just one of the three McHenry Hohnen Chardonnays, this would be my choice. 94+
Region: Margaret River
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $37
Tasted: August 2013