2022 High Road Chardonnay

Story Behind The Wine

Chardonnay is one of the most highly prized white varieties in the world. In a diverse region like the Barossa, we have chosen to take the High Road to Eden Valley, Barossa’s high country and premium cool-climate district, to capture the very best flavour and texture that Chardonnay has to offer

The Winery

Langmeil Winery respectfully acknowledges the Kaurna, Ngadjuri and Peramangk people, past, present and future, the traditional custodians of the land on which we grow and make our wines. The Lindner family of Langmeil Winery has been immersed in the Barossa’s culture of farming, food, wine and community for six generations. Their commitment to quality in all aspects is unwavering, and any wine that bears the Langmeil name represents the family’s pursuit of excellence in wine and community.

Wine Maker's Notes 2022 Vintage Report 

A great start to the year with healthy winter rains followed by a mild spring led to optimism about the up-and-coming harvest. However, as so often with farming, Mother Nature had other plans. On 28 October, a 15-minute hailstorm tore a massive strip of devastation through the Barossa, with crop losses of between 30% to 100%. I had to wear ear muffs in the shed to stop my ears from bleeding; it was that loud. After the storm, the remainder of the growing and ripening season was mild to cool, enabling plenty of hang time on the vine for great flavour and colour development. Harvest ran smoothly, starting and finishing later than usual, with our Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon picked in early May. It's another cracking, cooler vintage. 

Colour: Mid straw with brilliant, pale gold hues. 

Aroma: An inviting and fresh aroma of honeydew, stone fruit and cucumber combined with a touch of marzipan adding complexity. 

Palate: Fresh melon flows through the palate blending into peach and citrus in the mouth. Hints of nutty and creamy barrel-ferment characters and a zesty finish are balanced by a lovely texture, some minerality and zingy acidity. 

Geographical Indication: Barossa Valley 

Grape Composition: 100% Chardonnay 

Oak Treatment: Barrel fermented in 32% new, 20% 2nd fill French oak and 48% unwooded 

Vine Age: Planted 1979/1980/2002 

Subregional Source: Flaxman Valley 

Yield Per Acre: 1.5 tonnes per acre 

Trellising Single: Double vertical wire, permanent cordon, spur pruned 

Soil Type: Grey, sandy loam, mostly decomposed granite and ironstone 

Harvest Details: 19 to 29 March 

Technical Analysis: Alcohol: 13.5% pH: 3.33 TA: 6.3 g/L Residual Sugar: 0.47 g/L VA: 0.22 g/L 

About Langmeil

Langmeil is a blend of Barossa’s cultural beginnings and a family’s modern day commitment to world-class, old vine winemaking. Once a trading village established in 1842, this remarkable place is a captivating pocket of Australia’s wine and vine history that is a must when visiting the Barossa. Owned by the Lindner family, whose own mark on the Barossa spans six-generations of farming, food, community and wine, Langmeil is renowned for its preservation of old vines and the making of distinguished wines from these cherished sites.

Biodiversity thrives amongst their dry grown vines to ensure each site is in balance with nature. Allowing such harmony with the natural environment is a responsibility they take seriously as custodians of the land. Resurrecting Barossa’s old vines is also an undertaking they continue to take in their stride since acquiring the notable, yet derelict, Langmeil property and its vines in 1996. These vineyards, along with other family-owned sites in the cooler Eden Valley and southern grounds of Lyndoch are the foundation to all the wines bearing the Langmeil name.

In the winery, Chief Winemaker, Paul Lindner, draws on both old world and new world techniques while practicing both minimal filtration and human intervention to ensure the grape’s full potential is captured. These techniques help capture the special characteristics of each variety and the subtleties derived from the distinctive microclimates of our region to create fruit-driven wines with subtle complexity.

Women Wine Leaders

Richard Lindner (now deceased) and his wife Shirley Della-Mina with sons Paul and James Lindner, purchased the winery in 1996 and are the current custodians of Langmeil Winery. Both Richard and Shirley’s family trees are dotted with generations of grape growers, farmers and butchers. While the grape growing families mainly grew grapes to appease a thirst for homemade wine and grappa (and to keep the neighbours happy!), grapes and the local wines were integral to life while pursuing their primary passions of farming and food.