Bringing chardonnays in from the cold

Jason Brown is standing on a hillside in the Snowy Mountains, feet wedged against an incline steep enough to tip tractors over, shoulders braced against the chill of the wind.

As the owner and head winemaker of Coppabella Wines surveys his vines on a winter’s day and thinks about the frost forecasts ahead, it’s lucky his passion project burns brighter than ever.

It’s hard not to juxtapose the privations of making cool-climate wines such as Brown’s chardonnay with the grassy freshness and summery juiciness in the glass at the other end of the cycle.

Certainly his passion comes through on an unseasonably warm early spring evening as The Australian Wine Club panel sips a quartet of chardonnays, including the Coppabella Single Vineyard 2021 vintage.

Each of the four chardonnays making up this week’s special offer case from The Australian Wine Club (yours for a discount on the average RRP of 33 per cent) celebrates in its own way the increasing warmth in the air as spring unfolds.

With two from Tumbarumba and a third from Orange, plus a Hunter Valley cousin to make up this foursome, it’s a case to hero the microclimates in NSW and what they deliver to your wine.

That’s particularly so in Tumbarumba, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, where the grapes became a source of fascination for Jason Brown nearly two decades ago after years of making his own Hunter chardonnays.

From 2008 he bought Tumbarumba fruit, and in 2011 bought the actual vineyard it came from.

“It’s a fascinating place but it’s challenging on a whole lot of levels,” Brown says. “We’re exposed to frost risk there, it’s got higher rainfall a bit more like Champagne, it’s got cold snaps that are equivalent to Chablis.

The cool-climate Tumbarumba wine region. Pic: supplied

“So it’s tricky and also the terrain is very difficult too. It’s very, very steep, tractors will tip on their sides and grape bins when we’re harvesting will tip off the trailer.”

Not that he has a scintilla of regret, even on those bitter winter’s mornings.

“In some ways Tumbarumba is both a blessing and a curse,” he says with a laugh. “One of the great challenges we have in Australia is that in my opinion, to make really great chardonnay, you need a very cold climate.

“In a country as hot as Australia, there aren’t really many climates that are really cold enough. It’s an early-ripening variety, the acid drops away really quickly with chardonnay, and so the flavour can race away.”

That’s why Brown is a proselytiser for the way nature happens at a gentler pace in a place such as Tumbarumba; it’s what attracted him in the first place.

“In contrast, Hilltops chardonnay ripens about two weeks earlier, even though it’s only two hours north,” he says. “So you’ve got two weeks more hang time on the vines with Tumbarumba, two more weeks to produce intensity of flavour, concentration, complexity, just the personality of the fruit.

“That’s part of the magic. The flavour accumulates very slowly, as does the sugar, and the acidity drops away very slowly too.

“So you’ve got natural brightness, freshness, but coupled with fantastic length, and it really is a unique thing. There aren’t many regions in Australia that will do that.”

Time for the microclimates in NSW to shine. Pic: supplied

Coppabella Single Vineyard Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2021

The pale straw colour in the glass and just-ripe wafts of lemon, melon and gooseberry indicate a wine that’s maturing at just the right pace, thank you. The same assured balance makes the palate sing of nectarine and melon, creamy cashews and green apples, thanks to its fresh acidity, a richly soft mouthfeel and a lovely long finish. 12.5% alc, RRP $27 a bottle.

SPECIALS $22.99 a bottle in any case, $22.99 a bottle in our chardonnay case.

Rowlee Orange Chardonnay 2023

The cliche of “summer in a glass” couldn’t be more apt as a heady perfume of jasmine florals leaps from the glass, underscored by hints of nougat and all kinds of juicy citrus. All of which primes the palate nicely for nectarine, lemon and grapefruit to come through in the mouth, balancing the sweetness of more nougat and honey. A shawl of oak keeps everything in sync, and leads to a nicely clean finish. 12.8% alc, RRP $35 a bottle.

SPECIALS $32.99 a bottle in any case, $22.99 a bottle in our chardonnay case.

Cox Family Wines Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2023

Golden to the eye, there’s a complexity here from the stone fruits on the nose – think a ripe white peach, nectarine and lime, with honey to spare – to a creamy, ripe palate of more peach, gooseberry and vanilla. There’s a tinge of spice, almost jalapeno-like, and a fresh, crisp finish thanks to a well-judged squeeze of acidity. 12.5% alc, RRP $35 a bottle.

SPECIALS $25.99 a bottle in any case, $22.99 a bottle in our chardonnay case.

Hungerford Hill Dalwood Vineyard Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2022

Another golden hue but the aroma here is richly different, with smokiness, dry hay and sea spray all part of a tingling nose. Orange peel and pineapple step forward on the tongue, in tandem with some minerality and toasty oak. The acidity is a persistent aide, keeping the richness at just the right level. 12.5% alc, RRP $40 a bottle.

SPECIALS $29.99 a bottle in any case, $22.99 a bottle in our chardonnay case.

C HARDONNAY DOZEN: Three bottles of each wine above for $22.99 a bottle. SAVE $135.12.

Order by simply clicking the links to our online store or telephone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm AEST. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550. Stockhead is partnering with The Australian Wine Club on this offer.