Dappled Les Vergers Chardonnay 2023

Dappled Les Vergers Chardonnay 2023

No matter how quickly we jump onto any new release from Dappled, they always tend to have sold out already. So again it is with this wine. Dappled is a star producer who has, quickly, built a loyal following. There are a lot of other small, new-ish producers who could learn a hell of a lot from the way Dappled has, and does, go about it.

Dappled’s Les Vergers Chardonnay 2023 is a wine for those who like a bit of matchstick and/or flint in their chardonnay. It has the carry of fruit flavour and indeed it feels long and dry through the finish, but there’s little doubt that there’s a rush of sulphur on display here, particularly on the nose but it’s there on the palate too. Decanting it won’t make this character go away but I’d still advise a quick double-decant at the very least.

This wine has a steely, salty, almost chalky dryness running through the grapefruit-and-peach mainstay of the palate. It feels daring. It’s as complex as they come and as stylish. There’s a burst of grapefruit-derived bitterness on the finish which too is of particular appeal. The sulphur is a bit overbearing at present but as it settles and the fruit fleshes it will all come together. I appreciate that $60 is not inexpensive but for this quality and complexity it’s pretty keen buying. I know that I’d buy this if I saw it.

AU $60. 13.5% alcohol, screwcap seal.

Gary Walsh reviewed this on The Winefront here, and on his review I added my score.