the lucky lizard Chardonnay 2021  Adelaide Hills, Chardonnay (100%)  The Name  During summer, native Bearded Dragon  lizards find their way into grapes destined  for the winery. Luckily for the lizards, the  gentleness of our crusher allows them to  pass through the ordeal slightly shaken, but  unharmed.  The Vintage  The preceding winter was beautifully wet,  f  lushing the soil of salts and filling the  soil profile. Spring too was above average,  with rainfalls up until November which  was almost completely dry. November was  hotter than normal which upset the setting  of berries. Just as well as the bunch number  was way up. Two inches of rain  in early February was much appreciated  by the relatively large crops. Where crops  where smaller, berry size grew. The heat  produced a fast flowering, set, and speedy  berry development leading to an early  veraison and the equal earliest start of  vintage on record. A few days in a row  around 35°C in February rapidly ripened  early lower cropping vineyards. From then  on, the vintage was mild and dry. Average  temperatures for autumn were down. Some  nice 30°C days late March and early April  helped finish ripening of bigger crops and  late ripening varieties.  Harvest dates  Residual sugar  17 Mar - 25 Mar  3.0 g/l  The Winemaking  Small batches of grapes are gently crushed  before being pressed in specially designed  stainless steel basket presses. Gentle  extraction of the juice is critical in these  stages to retain the delicate Chardonnay  characters. Fermentation took place in old  French oak barriques for around 6 months,  with no malolactic fermentation. 40% of the  final blend underwent wild fermentation in  barrel. The barrel ferments are aged on lees,  some of which is added to increase the  mouthfeel, and add a bit of minerality which  helps the wine age gracefully. There is no  racking until final blending.  The Characteristics  This Chardonnay impresses with abundant  stone fruit, lemon curd, and cut straw  aromas. The wine showcases a clean, lemon  gold appearance with fresh pineapple,  custard apple, and melon hints on the nose.  It offers a refreshing, textured experience,  featuring pithy grapefruit and white peach  flavours on the palate, ending with a tangy,  long finish and a gentle phenolic grip. It  presents an impressive display of stone  fruits, crisp minerality, and delightful  oak-induced spice notes, leading to a long,  focused finish with integrated acidity