Orange region continues to build its reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting producers of cool climate Chardonnay.
In keeping with their philosophy of making excellent value wines and to mark their 25th anniversary, Angullong has released two new vintage Chardonnays comprising the 2022 Angullong ‘Fossil Hill’ Chardonnay and its partner the 2022 Angullong Chardonnay.
The Angullong vineyard, owned by fifth-generation farmers the Crossing family, was planted in 1998 on the southern slopes of the Orange Region.
“We have seen a lot of change in the region since we planted the first vines 25 years ago,” says Angullong’s Ben Crossing.
“We have one of the most diverse range of grape varieties in the region and over the years we have changed the mix of varieties to suit our vineyard site. In the early days we took our guide from other regions, but now have the experience to know what works well in our vineyards to consistently grow high quality grapes.
“Chardonnay is fast becoming a regional hero, with a range of styles being produced. There is a real difference derived from vines grown at 600 metres compared to those at the higher elevations of Mount Canobolas. These differences, along with a range of winemaking styles, is what makes the Orange Region so compelling.”
The 2022 vintage in Orange was the coolest and latest vintage in 20-odd years, creating some frayed nerves for the winegrowers.
A wet winter had filled dams and the soil moisture profile which augured well. This rain continued, with harvest initially looking to be quite wet. However, the rain held off for the month leading up to harvest, ensuring excellent regional cool climate flavour development and ripeness.
“Harvest began up to three weeks later that average. Our volumes across all varieties were higher than the previous vintage, although still below average. With a return to the classic cooler, pre-drought vintage, the 2022 wines show our regional acidity and purity of flavour.”