The Terre Maritime is drawn from several rows of Chardonnay in the top corner of Merricks Grove. Barney Flanders has always felt this parcel results in a superb and unique Chardonnay—in this part of the vineyard, the 27-year-old vines are rooted in brown soils rather than the more common reddish dirt of the area. The plot sits at 90 metres and faces slightly east, offering the vines a cooler, more sheltered aspect. There’s therefore less vigour here than in the rest of the vineyard and the bunches are a touch smaller. As a result, the fruit from this parcel tends to make a wine that has real intensity without forgoing the finesse we associate with Garagiste Chardonnay.
In the low-yielding 2023 season, Barney only had one puncheon of Terre Chardonnay fruit to work with, so played things straight in the cellar. The fruit was pressed as whole bunches to a 500 litre puncheon for ferment, followed by a nine-month maturation on gross lees. What you get with Maritime is a frank expression of season and this small unique plot. It’s always salty, chalky, complex and long, and 2023 is a chip off the old block.