This entry level offering from Patrick Sullivan is brand new for the 2023 vintage. It really punches above its weight for an under $30 Chardonnay and is a great way to sample the estate's style. It is a blend from a number of parcels, and it is matured in 15% new oak. This is the only cuvée under screwcap rather than cork.
Last summer we discovered the wines of Patrick Sullivan, and to say we were blown away would be an understatement. Brandon alone was responsible for at least a case of the Baw Baw Shire Chardonnay going missing, and we sold through nearly the whole state's inventory at lightning speed. Thankfully, the wines are back and just as amazing as last time. These cool-climate gems from Gippsland will fool you into thinking you're drinking expensive reductive style white Burgundy, and the prices for wines of this caliber are outstanding. It doesn't hurt that Patrick spent some time as an understudy at Domaine Roulot in Meursault.
In case you missed it last year, Patrick Sullian is an Australian wine legend in the making. His flinty, reductive Chardonnays deliver many of the same flavors and sensations of some of Burgundy's most famous white wine producers like PYCM and Leflaive, and his ethereal Pinot Noirs give elegant, whole cluster Pinots from the Côte de Nuits a run for their money. If you're unfamiliar with Gippsland, it's a stretch of cool Tasman Sea coastline east of Melbourne in Victoria. Separated from the rest of Victoria by the Victorian Alps, it lies in relative obscurity compared to the rest of Australia (it hasn't even received a GI appellation status). Despite neglect from the nation's authorities, several truly world-class estates have risen from the ranks of this rural zone. The leader amongst those would be Bass Phillip, whose estate as of 2020 is now run by icon Gevrey-Chambertin winemaker Jean-Marie Fourrier, and whose Pinot Noir Reserve bottling nearly eclipses four figures in value. The wines of Patrick Sullivan remain true values (think under $75) in a region that has proven an ability to attract top Burgundy talent and make blue chip wines at shocking prices. In short, his wines capture the magic of Burgundy's top grapes with a cool-climate Aussie spin.
Also, we rarely mention labels, but Patrick's are so beautiful and unique that they are worthy of discussion. The designs for all of his labels are made by Helsinki-based illustrator Eero Lampinan, who has had their art featured in many publications, including Harper's Bazaar, GQ, and The New Yorker. Patrick's vision for the label was "a garden of Eden on volcanics, symbols of the green place in which we live and the rich volcanic soils." Each cuvée has its own take on the theme, and they are beautifully done.
