While I could see the quality inherent in the 2011 Oakridge 864 J & J D’Aloisio Vineyard Chardonnay, it never quite won me over in a personal sense. I just ended up buying the 2011 Funder & Diamond 864 instead. It’s nit-picking but I feel there’s just a little less detail in the fruit from this vineyard – it feels a touch more diffuse.
In body it’s somewhere between whey and milk with an almost creamed rice textural overlay to the acidity. Of course none of this comes from malolactic fermentation or battonage because neither of those techniques are employed for any of these Chardonnays. White peach over citrus. Some width on the palate – if I were to draw its shape, it would be two closely placed parallel lines from start to finish. Complexity comes from almond oak and a wicked mix of sponge and sourdough. Very savoury through the back-palate. 93
Region: Yarra Valley
Alcohol: 13.0%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $38
Tasted: October 2013