2024 By Farr Chardonnay

Ben Knight (Ben and Wine)
As always, the Chardonnay by Farr is as good an example of this grape as you will find.  It pleases those that read and drink widely and pleases those who don’t care for all the flummery, yet still want great wine.  Whichever side you are on, it doesn’t change how the wine tastes.  The 2024 Chardonnay by Farr has such a lovely softness and is balanced by a tightrope of acidity.  The wine is generous without being too forward, and the complexity of this wine is peerless in my opinion.  It has aromatic and ripe fruit expression, but at its heart it is saline and savoury with terrific length.  I always try to drink the wine while l write these, which is perhaps why l wrote so many words.  It meant l could drink more of this stunning wine.

By Farr Tasting Notes
The trademark characteristics of the wine produced on our site are understated power and length with a mineral finish. The wine has a great fruit expression that is well integrated with French oak. The soil characteristics have come through in the style of wine we have today. The palate is fine but firm, with great acidity, texture and length. This wine is rich in flavour, yet very refined.

Overview:
The By Farr chardonnay comes from the same site as the Sangreal pinot noir—composed of red soil over limestone—and was planted in 1994. The limestone of this site is not exposed on the surface as at other sites. The limestone starts 20 to 30cm below the surface, to the depths of the root zone of the vines. It is a very exposed north-facing slope. The clones used for the chardonnay are a mixture of Dijon clones and Penfolds 58.