The crew at Ten Minutes By Tractor don't do too much wrong. What a delight this Chardonnay is!

Tasting Notes

Peach, honeydew and citrus characters pair perfectly with the crunchy phenolics, depth of fruit and elegant edge of this inviting and irresistible Chardonnay.

10X wines are sourced from several vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula and are therefore a regional expression of each variety. All of our fruit is Estate grown and managed.

Vintage

Lower than average rainfall and relatively standard temperatures over winter, and cooler temperatures in August and September, led to late budburst (our second latest) and flowering. However, above-average temperatures and low rainfall during summer meant early veraison and harvest. The period between flowering and veraison saw our warmest ever average minimum and second warmest maximums. Veraison to harvest was our fourth warmest maximums and our driest (47mm v 136mm average). Five days of above-average temperatures at the beginning of harvest compressed the vintage further. Yields are normal and fruit quality is outstanding.

Producer

Ten Minutes by Tractor needs little introduction, nor does the man in charge – Martin Spedding. A gently-spoken man with a background in finance and IT, in 2002 he finally acknowledged the fact that his true passion lay in wine. Despite his origins in New South Wales, he simply couldn’t get enough of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and would travel down to Victoria to immerse himself in Australia’s heartland of these noble varieties.

In 2003 he visited one of his favourite small wineries on Mornington Peninsula and was delighted to discover that it was for sale. Without a moment’s hesitation, he snapped it up, and so began Martin’s journey with Ten Minutes by Tractor. And what a journey it has been! Along with a trusty team and his loving family, he has overseen the rise of the estate to the cult status it holds today.

In 2016 Sandro Mosele (ex-Kooyong and Port Philip Estates) joined the team as head winemaker, only adding to their ‘force to be reckoned with’ status. The ‘home’ vineyards (McCutcheon, Wallis and Judd) are the three original vineyards that formed the Ten Minutes By Tractor estate. They are all located in Main Ridge, the coolest and highest part of the Mornington Peninsula. Despite their close proximity and the use of similar vinification methods, the single-vineyard wines are distinctly different from one another. This is a result of their different elevations, orientations and soils.

These wines can challenge Burgundy in quality and elegance and range from fine and elegant examples to richer and more opulent cuvées. They are all made with indigenous yeasts and are a true expression of each unique ‘terroir’. These much sought after single vineyard wines are only produced in outstanding years and continue to go from strength to strength.

Production is usually less than 200 dozen; they are truly limited edition wines. Outside of the original single vineyard range, the newest Coolart Road is remarkably different from the others – coming from the lowest vineyard of them all at 72m, the Pinot Noir made here is markedly different in style from the higher elevation sites. All of the wines are made with the utmost sustainability and are bottled unfined.

Specifications