Description
“The sheer quality of the wines he makes is equalled only by his consistency” James Halliday.
When I met winemaker Bruce Dukes from Domaine Naturaliste I was bowled over by how striking every wine was that I tasted in his lineup … A rare occurrence when you’re tasting wines every day.
The success did not happen by accident. He has an intimate knowledge of all the terroirs of Margaret River after spending 25 years honing his craft with leading Margaret River producers such as Pierro wines. He is a trained agronomist and has a Masters in viticulture and Oenology from U.C. Davis … he also worked for 4 years at Neibaum Coppola in Napa, USA. Bruce seeks freshness of fruit, perfume, texture, overall balance, restraint with low to moderate alcohol in all his beautiful wines. Domaine Naturaliste is named after the northern most Cape of Margaret River, Cape Naturaliste, where the winery is situated. Minuscule production of top shelf wines across the board.
From the flagship series, this is Bruce Dukes finest expression of the iconic Margaret River varietals. Artus is an artistic translation of the local Gin Gin clone into wine. The wine creates its own journey. It is a provocative, complex and textural wine exuding the seductive spirit of old world Chardonnay. The vines have been managed to allow only dappled light into the fruiting zone. This promotes flavour development, low tannins and bright levels of natural acidity. The fruit is sourced from Karridale the cool southern end of Margaret River. The tiny 100g Gin Gin clusters are hand harvested at first light to preserve freshness of fruit.
From the winery: A long, cold and wet winter put the vines in good stead the season to come. Moderate temperatures and constant summer breezes, along with manicured canopies led to pristine fruit. This gentle and consistent ripening in idyllic conditions has led to wines of unsurpassable fruit purity and textural drive. 13% Alc.
This gorgeous Chardonnay is a strong statement .. a brilliant unbridled expression of barrel fermented chardonnay flavours of fresh nectarines and candied pecan nuts supported by aromas of poached pears and marzipan. Wild yeasts, unrestricted malolactic, time on lees, medium toasted Vosges and Allier French oak. A wonderful vintage. Decant this wine if drinking now or will cellar well for up to 8 years.
98 points – Decanter World Wine Awards ‘Big vanilla and toasty brioche nose. High toast, new oak on the palate with a great depth of ripe tropical fruit flavour, plus a rich vein of pineapple acidity that carries the youthful fruit. Everything is in place for this to evolve gracefully.’
RRP $51 Our Price $43.99
(Also available as Special 6 Pack Buy .. click here)
