2018 Stella Bella Chardonnay

The Margaret River region is located on the southernmost tip of the west coast of Australia. Some of the most elegant wines in Australia come from this region.

Stella Bella (Beautiful Star in Italian) was established as a brand in 1999 by Stuart Pym and Janice McDonald, the owners of Suckfizzle Vineyards. The brand was established in their words “…to encapsulate the beautiful colors, aromas and flavors we enjoy and talk about in wine.”

The grapes that go into their 100% Chardonnay are hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, and wild fermented. The wine is then aged in new and old French oak barriques (a 59-gallon barrel) for 10 months before being bottled.

The resulting pale straw-colored wine is described by the winemaker thus: “Bright pale straw. Savory complex aromas of nougat and gunflint are complimented by fresh fruit aromas of lime rind, grapefruit, musk, and jasmine. Wild fermentation and high solids add complexity, which together with well-balanced new oak, provide a wine of distinct southern Margaret River character. Displaying our signature spring water liveliness, this wine is driven by lemon, lime, and grapefruit. A hint of saline captures the southern Margaret River minerality. The textural finish has lingering nuttiness and salivating complexity.”

This wine was awarded 93 points by James Suckling and 92 points by Wine Advocate.
This medium- to full-bodied Chardonnay will pair well with pork, salmon, poultry as well as vegetarian dishes.