2023 County Chardonnay — Terroir Pack
Regular price $165.00
Unit price per
ALL THREE CHARDONNAYS FROM 2023!
Contrast and compare two site-specific Chardonnays before they were blended into the vineyard ensemble. This is a rare and detailed exploration proving just how different these wines, grown only a few metres apart, can be.
Included in this pack:
2023 Chardonnay du Nord
2023 Chardonnay du Sud
2023 Chardonnay
2023 Chardonnay du Sud
2023 Chardonnay
Tasting and Production Notes:
2023 Chardonnay du Nord - 8 Cases Produced
95 PTS — David Lawrason
“When tasted beside the Chardonnay du Sud of the same vintage, this struck me as just bit more elegant and elevated. There is lovely fruit on the nose — pear/peach, some florality, lemon and fine spice and just a hint of butterscotch. It is medium-full bodied, creamy and very fine, lithe with all kinds of minerality. The length is outstanding. With so few cases of each of the Sud and Nord produced, it makes sense to compare them side by side. Tasted February 2026
91 PTS — John Szabo
91 PTS — Sara D’Amato
“From the north end of the block, this lightly toasty Chardonnay is has refreshing delicacy that swells in intensity towards the finish. Leesy and apply with notes of peach blossom and a delicate chalkiness along with a hint of spice that lingers. Excellent length. Tasted February 2026.
Hand Harvested from the North Block of Trail Estate’s site and pressed whole cluster to stainless steel. Chilled, racked and put to barrel to ferment naturally. A blend of new french oak and neutral puncheons and barriques were used. Aged without stirring in barrel for 11 months. Racked twice prior to bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur.
Floral honey and beeswax with a hint of coconut. A lean Chardonnay with pure county minerality on the palate.
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2023 Chardonnay du Sud - 8 Cases Produced
93 PTS — David Lawrason
“[A] well balanced and quite rich Chardonnay with fairly generous, natural wine leaning, complex aromas of almost tropical banana/yellow pear fruit, butterscotch, brown spices, leesy/tea scents and wet stone. It is medium-full bodied, even-handed and rich, with firm acidity. Excellent to outstanding focus and length. Tasted February 2026
92 PTS — John Szabo, MS
“Trail’s ‘Chardonnay du Sud’ from the southern end of the estate vineyard is a less variegated, more linear wine I find. It’s also a stony and fruit-shy expression the way we like them, uncompromising in its severity. Tasted February 2026.
91 PTS — Sara D’Amato
“A lightly leesy, more concentrated style of Chardonnay than its modest 11.5% ABV suggests, sourced from a southern block of the estate vineyard. Subtle lactic notes mingle with hints of caramel, green apple, and white peach, underpinned by a touch of minerality. The wine remains discreet yet engaging, offering an appealing stony texture and impressive length. Cleanly made and nicely poised. Act fast as only 10 cases were produced. Tasted February 2026.
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Hand Harvested from the South Block of Trail Estate’s site and pressed whole cluster to stainless steel. Chilled, racked and put to barrel to ferment naturally. A blend of new french oak and neutral puncheons and barriques were used. Aged without stirring in barrel for 11 months. Racked twice prior to bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur.
A wine showcasing greater texture and fullness initially with a tart finish. Notes of crushed limestone and lemon.
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2023 Chardonnay - 130 Cases Produced
95 PTS — Decanter Magazine
94 PTS — John Szabo
“A chardonnay with that lovely simmering reduction that brings flint and stones and wet concrete to the fore and sends citrus (pith and peel) scampering away. Trail Estate really shines in the chardonnay category, at least for those for whom the place is more important than the grape — this is decidedly PEC, uncompromisingly stony. Fruit is a distant cousin. If petrichor could be rendered into wine, I suspect it would taste very much like this. Don’t expect easy pleasure, but expect a wild ride through place and time. Best from now to the mid-thirties. Great stuff. Tasted February 2026.
“A chardonnay with that lovely simmering reduction that brings flint and stones and wet concrete to the fore and sends citrus (pith and peel) scampering away. Trail Estate really shines in the chardonnay category, at least for those for whom the place is more important than the grape — this is decidedly PEC, uncompromisingly stony. Fruit is a distant cousin. If petrichor could be rendered into wine, I suspect it would taste very much like this. Don’t expect easy pleasure, but expect a wild ride through place and time. Best from now to the mid-thirties. Great stuff. Tasted February 2026.
93 PTS — Rick VanSickle
“Trail Estate’s Chardos always bring a certain joie de vivre vibe to the table whenever I open a bottle. The nose has a lovely saline fresh and stony minerality as the opening note with Bosc pear, apples, lemon zest and subtle spice notes that follow. It’s crisp and vibrant on the palate with a flinty/reductive entry followed by bergamot, orchard fruits, spice and a long, lifted finish. Can cellar through 2030.
92 PTS — David Lawrason
“This is a firm, serious chardonnay wild fermented, aged in older barrels and bottled without filtration. It shows fairly deep lemon colour. The nose is generous and complex with considerable toasty, leesy character, a hint of butter and ripe yellow apple. Comes together well on the palate, with richness yet a firm mineral line. Rather leesy/toasty on the finish, with excellent length. Tasted Feb 2026
“This is a firm, serious chardonnay wild fermented, aged in older barrels and bottled without filtration. It shows fairly deep lemon colour. The nose is generous and complex with considerable toasty, leesy character, a hint of butter and ripe yellow apple. Comes together well on the palate, with richness yet a firm mineral line. Rather leesy/toasty on the finish, with excellent length. Tasted Feb 2026
92 PTS — Sara D’Amato
“A wild ferment Chardonnay, unfined and unfiltered, that perfectly embodies Prince Edward County’s leaner, stoney style. The wine features a lively buoyancy with notable intensity of flavours. Lofty minerality is present on the palate, cleanly made with sleek acidity and very good length. Lightly toasty with subtle spice that lingers on the finish. Drink or hold until 2030. Only 130 cases produced. Tasted February 2026.
“A wild ferment Chardonnay, unfined and unfiltered, that perfectly embodies Prince Edward County’s leaner, stoney style. The wine features a lively buoyancy with notable intensity of flavours. Lofty minerality is present on the palate, cleanly made with sleek acidity and very good length. Lightly toasty with subtle spice that lingers on the finish. Drink or hold until 2030. Only 130 cases produced. Tasted February 2026.
The 2023 growing season was an EPIC season! Filled with plenty of challenges in the summer — lots of rain, high humidity and lots of heat. In September, the season flipped on its head and we were given the most beautiful ripening season. Grapes showed amazing concentration of flavour and great retention of acidity.
An integrated nose with layers of flinty minerality and citrus. Slight nuances of oak with crushed oyster shells. A rich palate with a tart finish.
VQA Prince Edward County VQA
Cases Produced: 130
Winemakers: Mackenzie & Brooke Taylor
Winemakers: Mackenzie & Brooke Taylor
Grower: Trail Estate Winery
Harvested: September 30, 2023
Yields: Approx. 1.5 Tonnes/Acre
Brix: 21.3
RS: <3g/L
Alcohol: 12.0%