We recorded just about average annual rainfall over the year, which resulted in healthy crops of Shiraz and Cabernet. Unseasonably warm November weather interfered with the Chardonnay during flowering and has resulted in small crops of this variety. The weather then remained almost perfect for the rest of vintage. The general consensus amongst winemakers in the Vale is that 2010 marks an exceptional year for both red and white wines.

This wine is the equivalent of Joch’s favourite child; it got everything it wanted in terms of winemaking toys. The grapes were pressed straight to the best French barriques (225 litre barrels, of which 50% were brand spanking new) where it underwent 100% wild ferment (that is we relied on the action of natural indigenous yeasts present on the skins to start fermentation). The wine remained on high solids,and there was a little battonage (stirring of the lees when the wine was fermenting in the barrel to add texture and complexity). The wine was bottled straight from barrel into handsome imported French Saverglass ‘Bourgogne’ bottles. Whatever you want darling.

• Winestate Magazine

• Spitbucket Wine Review Episode 144 28th March 2012

  Have a look at Dan Coward's (follow him on twitter @up_shiraz) review of the 2010 Battle of Bosworth Chardonnay. He gives it 91 points and the thumbs up for a great oaked Australian Chardonnay (which is not 'flabby'). 

• 20 Top Australia Chardonnays from www.matchingfoodandwine.com by Fiona Beckett Jan 2012

  'I’m a born-again chardonnay lover since returning from Australia last month. Did the sun go to my head? I don’t think so. Australia now produces some of the most gorgeous, seductive, beautifully balanced chardonnays I’ve tasted. Not cheap, mind you, but in comparison to some of the white burgundies I’ve been tasting this week, great value.Anyway, here’s the pick of the wines I got to try, organised by region, I don’t do scores, though I obviously have personal preferences. They wouldn’t be in this list if I didn’t think they were good. 

  'Slightly funky chardonnay in the natural wine mould though winemaker Joch Bosworth does employ sulphur as needed. Loads of creamy, leesy texture. More than a third of the first vintage of Penfold’s Yattarna came from the same now organically cultivated vineyard

• James Halliday's Wine Companion 2012

  Bright straw-green; melon, fig and stone fruit aromas lead into a palate with considerable generosity, the flavours riper than the alcohol would suggest, the oak invisible.

  91 points

• The Melbourne Age and Sydney Morning Herald Good Wine Guide 2012 Nick Stock

  A nice attempt at a complex, solids-derived winemaking funk on the nose here, with some grilled. The hazelnuts, lemon peel, melon and stone fruits- gentle oak toast to boot. The palate is smooth and supple: ripe fruit flavours are nicely contained amid fresh, fleshy texture. 89 points

• WBM Wine 100 Mike Bennie October 2011

  Lees, oatmeal and struck match in the bouquet, then this finely structured wine reveals its oak hand. Maintains elegance but will benefit from some more time to integrate further. In good form.

  92 points reviewed by Mike Bennie

• The Winefront August 2011 Mike Bennie

  Some of the nicest people in the wine industry are the Bosworths. Louise (LHS) is plum-in-mouth British, intelligent and wickedly fun while Joch maintains a disarmingly laconic persona. An unexpected dynamic duo doing great things with their organically farmed vineyards in McLaren Vale. Across the board the BOB wines punch above their weight.

  Stone fruits, cheesy lees, struck match and oats in the bouquet. I like the feel as the wine opens washy yet bright, then tapers to cool melon fruits and grapefruity acidity. Fresh and with a finely structured feel, this is elegant even as cedary oak readily makes its presence known – the wine will benefit from some further time to integrate, but is in very good form, and shows plenty of pluck, as is. Chardonnay and McLaren Vale are uneasy bedfellows, but here they find some mojo.

  92 points

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