Description
McHenry Hohnen have been growing grapes in the Margaret River wine region since the 1990s. From the start there was a commitment to best practice that nurtured the land while growing unique and regionally specific fruit with strong inner character and personality. These goals reflect the men involved – strong characters with a desire to honour the traditions of centuries of winemakers.
Tagging themselves as ‘Sustainable Farmers’ their approach was to treat their vineyards organically from the beginning. Certification came later, but for the Sustainable Farmers it was the only way. This approach has delivered repeated successes – on the palate and in accolades. It is the love of the land and the quest for unique and pure fruit that drives McHenry Hohnen and the team.
Now under the sole stewardship of Murray McHenry the drive has intensified to create wines that are supported by a complex and diversified environment, a natural interdependence that creates specificity that cannot be replicated. A focus on single vineyard wines crafted by Head Winemaker Japo Dalli Cani delivers a heightened experience to the consumer, an expression of regionality and purity that underpins the McHenry Hohnen ethos.
About the 2024 Vintage and this wine by the winemaker: “Sourced from a selection of premium sites across southern Margaret River, including our own estate vineyards—Calgardup Brook, Hazel’s, and Burnside—as well as trusted regional growers. Calgardup Brook brings mineral drive and aromatic lift from its schisty coastal soils, while Hazel’s Vineyard, our certified biodynamic site, adds structure and textural weight. Burnside contributes fruit intensity and finesse from its granite and ironstone gravel soils. Together, these sites offer a layered, regional expression of Margaret River Chardonnay, underpinned by our commitment to low-intervention farming and precision winemaking.
Vintage 2024 will be remembered as the earliest start of harvest at McHenry Hohnen. After good rainfalls during winter, our vines reacted to the excellent moisture levels in the ground and the warm spring conditions by developing healthy canopies earlier in the season. Summer was characterised by zero rainfalls and above-average diurnal temperatures. Veraison was anticipated across the different sites in 2-3 weeks. The Marri blossom was incredible in 2024, and with birds totally uninterested in our crops and no disease pressure, we were able to harvest pristine fruit. We experienced a very compressed white harvest, which kept our winery and vineyard teams extremely busy. The whites show expressive fruit profiles, with texture and generosity without compromising on freshness. Yields on the red varietals were lower than expected. However, the warm and dry weather created desirable conditions for our reds that showcase good structure, concentration, and vibrancy.
“Farmed with the same philosophy and made in the same way as our flagship Chardonnay range. All fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed before undergoing wild yeast fermentation with full solids in French oak barriques and puncheons (25% new). Barrels were sulphured shortly after primary fermentation was completed, with no malo-lactic fermentation to retain natural acidity. Laterite Hills Chardonnay matured for 10 months in barrels before being bottled in January 2025.
“Flinty and complex, this wine is a charming expression of Southern Margaret River Chardonnay. On the nose, delicate notes of kaffir lime, grilled peach, and zesty ginger leap from the glass, complemented by complex, wild-ferment elements of struck match and nougat. The palate is powerful yet crystalline and defined by a mealy texture, talky phenolics and that long, savoury acid line Southern Margaret River is renowned for. This Chardonnay reflects its place and season, paying homage to our farming and winemaking philosophy.”
94 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion “What’s spot-on about this wine – you taste it and think ‘that’s delicious’. That’s because it has the right combo of stone fruit and citrus, juiciness and tangy acidity, subtle oak spice with a fine layer of lees bolstering the palate. There’s an overall fineness that’s extra pleasing.”
94 points,Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front:“I tasted this wine with Murray McHenry (what a legend man), and he called it an everyday Chardonnay, ‘a bistro wine’ and a good value wine, and I couldn’t agree more on all counts. This is a blend of three vineyards, Calgardup Brook, Hazel’s and Burnside; just free run juice, no pressings. Lots of good Chardonnay perfume here; there’s a pink grapefruit theme and a gentle tropical note like pineapple skin, oak spice, and a little bit of toasted almond. Punchy flavour giving plenty of satisfaction on the palate with its juiciness and light yoghurty weight with a cleansing flinty finish. Delightful, and being sub $50 it’s still a very good value.”
94 points, Ray Jordan “A beautifully weighted and intensely flavoured chardonnay from this excellent vintage. On the nose there’s a suggestion if quartz and limestone across light lemon scents. The palate reveals some subtle lees character with a faint flinty backdrop. It is remarkably powerful through the palate which extends purposefully to a very long finish. One of the best of these yet.”
RRP $53 Our Special Price $42.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
