2022 By Farr Chardonnay

The 2022 By Farr Chardonnay is a benchmark cool-climate Australian white that bridges Old World finesse with New World vitality. Crafted from meticulously tended vines in Victoria’s Moorabool Valley, it showcases a seamless balance of concentrated fruit, bright acidity and fine, savoury complexity. Drawing on Burgundian influence and decades of experience, By Farr delivers a Chardonnay that is both serious and supremely drinkable. What sets this wine apart is its origin on the same prized site as the estate’s Sangreal Pinot Noir: red topsoil over limestone on a steep, north-facing slope planted in 1994. A careful mix of Dijon clones and the revered Penfolds 58 clone, hand-harvesting, whole-bunch pressing and fermentation in French oak (30% new) create a Chardonnay of depth, texture and precision. By Farr’s work, started by Gary Farr in the late 1970s and now driven by his son Nick, has been pivotal in establishing Moorabool Valley and Geelong as serious players in Australia’s cool-climate Chardonnay story.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2022 By Farr Chardonnay is a clear, luminous straw-gold, hinting at both freshness and concentration. The nose opens with vibrant citrus and exotic fruit: grapefruit zest, papaya and ripe pineapple, layered with roasted almonds, warm popcorn and a subtle struck-flint minerality. The oak is beautifully integrated, adding gentle spice and toast rather than dominating the fruit. On the palate, this is a finely structured, textural Chardonnay with a core of lime peel, nectarine and tropical fruit supported by a savoury, brioche-like richness. The wild-yeast fermentation and aging on lees bring creaminess and depth, while a long, mineral finish and delicately fresh acidity keep everything taut and precise. While already expressive in its youth, the firm acid backbone and mineral drive suggest a solid aging potential of 7–10 years from vintage, during which the wine will gain more nuttiness, complexity and refined honeyed notes.

Production
The fruit for the 2022 By Farr Chardonnay comes from a highly exposed, north-facing slope in the Moorabool Valley near Bannockburn in Victoria, a cool–to–temperate region shaped by maritime influence, elevation and varied exposures. The vineyard, planted in 1994, sits on red topsoil overlaying a band of limestone that begins just 8–12 inches below the surface and extends through the vine root zone, contributing to the wine’s tension and mineral spine. Chardonnay is sourced from a blend of Dijon clones and the renowned Penfolds 58 clone, each bringing different layers of aroma and structure. The grapes are hand-harvested with strict selection at optimal ripeness, then whole-bunch pressed very gently. After a brief, cool settling to drop out the heavier solids, only the pure, fine juice is transferred to French oak barriques (around 30% new) for a spontaneous, wild-yeast fermentation lasting just over a month. The young wine is then racked to clean barrels for malolactic conversion and extended aging on lees, building creaminess and complexity. Approximately 11 months after harvest, the wine is assembled, clarified, possibly lightly filtered, and bottled.

Food & Serving
This Chardonnay’s combination of ripe fruit, vibrant acidity and subtle oak makes it an excellent partner for refined, flavourful dishes. Think grilled or butter-poached lobster, roast chicken with lemon and thyme, seared scallops, or richer seafood like salmon or trout with beurre blanc. It also pairs beautifully with creamy pasta, mushroom risotto, or soft and semi-hard cheeses such as brie, comté or aged gouda. Serve at 10–12°C (50–54°F) to showcase both its freshness and texture. A light decant of 20–30 minutes can help the aromatics unfold, especially in its first few years after release.

Producer
By Farr is one of Victoria’s most respected family-run estates, founded by Gary Farr, who has been making wine in the Moorabool Valley near Bannockburn since 1978. Before establishing his own label, Gary honed his craft at some of the world’s leading Pinot Noir and Chardonnay addresses, including Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, Cristom in Oregon and Calera in California—experience that profoundly shaped the estate’s elegant, terroir-driven style. The property covers around 130 hectares, with 36 hectares under vine, and has been instrumental in putting Geelong and the broader Moorabool Valley on the map for top-tier cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Today, the next generation, led by Nick Farr, has taken the reins, with Gary still closely involved, and By Farr is widely regarded as one of Australia’s benchmark producers for refined, site-expressive wines.