The By Farr GC Chardonnay is named for Gary Charles Farr and pays tribute to some four decades of work in the Geelong region championing Australian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It is grown on the family's estate in the Moorabool Valley near Bannockburn, Victoria.
The fruit comes from close-planted hillside slopes, or côtes, facing north, north-east and east. The north côte has red-brown loam with buckshot stones and a high clay content, while the east côte combines black volcanic soil and fragmented limestone with grey buckshot loam, and is the first to be picked.
Grapes are hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, with the juice and its solids going to barrel, half of them new French oak. Fermentation is natural and slow at cool temperatures, followed by light stirring to start malolactic fermentation, then the wine is racked, fined, lightly filtered and bottled around 11 months after harvest. The result is smooth and calm across the palate, with textured fruit and a mineral thread.
Vintages may vary. Email us at hello@barrelandbatch.com.au if you would like confirmation.