McLaren Vale Chateau Reynella 1987
The McLaren Vale Chateau Reynella 1987 is an Australian white wine made entirely from Chardonnay. The estate was founded in 1838 by John Reynell, who emigrated from Devon, England, and established the winery 22 kilometers south of Adelaide. The historic chateau building continues to serve as the center of the estate's operations. Historically, the Reynell family were also prominent members of the Adelaide Hunt Club.
The wine originates from McLaren Vale in South Australia, the country's most significant wine-producing state, which accounts for over half of the national production. McLaren Vale is one of the oldest and most recognized wine areas in the region, with its first vines also planted in 1838. Situated about 40 kilometers south of Adelaide, the area stretches from the Gulf St Vincent coastline to the Mount Lofty Ranges. The region features a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters, where temperatures are moderated by cooling sea breezes and winds descending from the mountains. The local geology is highly complex, encompassing over 40 different soil types, including red-brown sandy loam, limestone, and iron-rich terra rossa.
Chardonnay is one of the world's most recognized green grape varieties, frequently cultivated in prominent regions such as Burgundy, Champagne, California, and Oregon. For this 1987 vintage, the wine was produced using exclusively McLaren Vale Chardonnay. Following the harvest, the wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels for a period of nine months.
The history of the wine
Below, you can delve into the history of this wine — its producer, grape, area, and region.
South Australia
South Australia is Australia's most important wine-producing state, with over half of the country's total wine production. The area spans six degrees of latitude from warm inland zones to cool highland regions, with Adelaide serving as the wine centre.
The state contains Australia's most famous wine regions: Barossa Valley and Eden Valley (Shiraz with some of the world's oldest productive vines from the 1840s), Clare Valley (dry, citrus-driven Riesling), Coonawarra (Cabernet Sauvignon on the characteristic terra rossa soil over limestone), McLaren Vale (Shiraz and Grenache with a Mediterranean character), Adelaide Hills (cool high-altitude region with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc), and the large Riverland region for value wines. Shiraz dominates the plantings and yields full-bodied, generous wines with ripe dark berries, blackberry, plum, chocolate, liquorice and soft tannins, while GSM blends (Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvèdre) are a signature style. The whites include acid-driven Riesling with citrus, lime, white flowers and chalky minerality, as well as Chardonnay in several styles. The area is known as home to iconic wines such as Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, Jacob's Creek and Yalumba, and as Australia's most important export region.
When this wine was made, the world looked very different. Here are some of the stories that unfolded while this bottle quietly aged in its cellar.
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Storage
Store the bottle horizontally at 12–14°C and avoid direct sunlight, vibrations, and temperature fluctuations.
Opening
Allow the bottle to stand upright for 24–48 hours before opening to allow sediment to settle. Use a professional corkscrew and open carefully.
Enjoyment
Serve at 17–18°C and be patient – there is a great difference in how and how quickly wines open up when they are aerated.
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