Robert Oatley Finisterre Chardonnay 2011

In many ways, Finisterre Chardonnay is much like actress/pop star Holly Valance – aka Neighbours’ ‘Flick’ Scully – albeit with a little more substance. You see, it’s got an Australian heart, with all the warmth and sunny character you could wish for, but these days its producers have given it a much more European influence, having used gentle French oak and other restrained winemaking techniques. Overall, this makes for a nuanced wine with highlights of roasted nuts and nougat over the pure tropical and orchard fruit.

The Robert Oatley Signature Series draws on a remarkable portfolio of vineyards nurtured by the winemaking talent of Larry Cherubino, showcasing some of Australia's most successful wine styles and regions.

In the 1970's Robert Oatley founded Rosemount Estate, creating accessible, easy-to-drink wines that weren't afraid to show their varietal colours with assertive flavours. Almost overnight, his wines became "The Taste of Australia" and the style that helped define a continent. Four decades later, Bob Oatley and his family are again playing their part in setting a new direction for Australian wine. Never one to rest on his laurels, in 2006 and at the age of nearly 80, Bob decided it was time to redefine perceptions about the essence of Australian wine and he is now producing wines that reflect old world wine influences as well as contemporary international tastes. It's the beginning of a second Australian wine renaissance grounded in a sense of place and tradition.

Larry Cherubino is one of Australia's most acclaimed winemakers, with extensive experience in large and small wineries and hundreds of awards to his name.

Hand-picked, the grapes are whole bunch pressed to new French oak and indigenous wild yeasts are added. The wine spends nine months in new French barriques.

Complex and restrained, this is a nuanced Chardonnay with highlights of roasted nuts and nougat over the pure tropical and orchard fruit. An underlying citrus zip keeps it fresh, with long, persisting acidity, whilst the body is ample and round.

View Larger Map