XANADU Stevens Road Chardonnay 2020

Robert Parker Score: 97 points

Reviewer: Erin Larkin — June 2022 Week 216 Jun 2022

Drink 2022–2037

The thing to understand about Margaret River Chardonnay is that it is largely dominated by the Gingin clone. While we can thank the Gingin clone for the foundation of success that the region has enjoyed over the years (mostly all the great top-tier estates employ Gingin in their flagship Chardonnays: Leeuwin, Vasse Felix, Cullen, Xanadu, Stella Bella, etc.), it is a skill to harness its inherent power and easy voluptuousness. The benefit to the clone is the high acidity, so if the picking window is judged correctly, the wines will display power and volume alongside restraint, poise and focus. Concentration is a given. So, moving on to the 2020 Stevens Road Chardonnay. The perfectly judged harvest window is on display in full force: Tight, bright, salty and driven by acid, this has layers of white peach and stone fruit, tempered by white pepper, salivating fruit intensity and years left in the tank. What a wine. Phwoar. (The trick to Xanadu Chardonnay is time. The house style, driven by senior winemaker Glenn Goodall, demands no malolactic fermentation in the winemaking, exposing the acidity and contributing a purity that evolves into toastiness as the wines age.)