Description
This single‑vineyard estate, first planted in 1995 in Dixons Creek in the Yarra Valley, sits on 11.2 hectares of well‑drained, gently sloping vines sheltered by the Toolangi State Forest and oriented to the northeast. For many years the fruit was crafted by respected winemakers including Rick Kinzbrunner, Franco D’Anna and David Bicknell, but since Helmut Konecsny, the owner of Rochford Wines, purchased Toolangi Vineyards in 2017, winemaker Kaspar Hermann has elevated the site’s individuality and expression. Hermann brings experience from respected Yarra Valley estates—including eight years at Mount Mary—along with time at Seville Estate, Coldstream Hills and Punch. He works closely with viticulturist John Evans, whose two decades of Yarra Valley experience guide the vineyard’s thoughtful management. The soils—fine silty clay loam over richer clay silts—provide a natural balance of vigour and fruitfulness, while the team’s practices, from shoot‑thinning to enhance airflow to minimal spraying and under‑vine mulching, support healthy ripening and a thriving ecosystem.
About this wine: Toolangi Vineyard stands among the Yarra Valley’s finest Chardonnay sites. Located in the Dixon’s Creek subregion and bordered by the Toolangi State Forest, this sheltered, low-yielding vineyard is planted to Gingin, Mendoza, and I10V3 clones on fine clay-loam soils. Year after year, it produces wines of distinct character and a strong sense of place.
Pauls Lane Chardonnay is sourced from just 20 rows within D Block on the 11-hectare property, all planted to the I10V3 clone when the vineyard was established in 1995. The fruit was handpicked on 15th February, then crushed, destemmed, and pressed to French oak (10%) for fermentation, followed by nine months’ maturation on lees. Winemaker Kaspar Hermann avoids malolactic conversion for this cuvée, as the I10V3 clone naturally achieves an ideal balance of acidity and flavour.
The 2025 release is another standout—showcasing pure citrus and stone fruit flavours, bright zesty acidity, and subtle spice, all carried through a long finish with a distinctive saline edge. A finely tuned, full-expression Chardonnay from one of the Yarra’s go-to producers.
Newly released … review for 2024 vintage: 96 points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion “From a single block of now 30-year-old vines. A bright gold with green tinges. Complex aromas of white nectarine, lemon verbena and a gentle lick of vanilla from the already and nicely integrated oak (20%). It’s generous on the palate, to be sure, but there’s a fine thread of grapefruit-like acidity on the long, structured finish. A lovely wine that’ll age well over the next six to eight years at least.”
RRP $52 **Our Special Price $41.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine**
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