The 1998 Chardonnay presents moderate to pronounced notes of chalk dust, cashews, oatmeal and honeyed peach tart aromas with a faint whiff of hay. Medium-bodied with high acidity, the concentrated palate has a nice line of citrus zest running through it. It has a long honey-nut finish. Perfect now, it should remain good to 2014+. Founded in 1963 by the outspoken, learned and prolific Max Lake, Lake’s Folly has been in the hands of the Perth based owner Peter Fogarty since 2000. Though his core business may not be wine, Fogarty has a real eye for idiosyncratic, boutique wineries, also possessing Millbrook Winery in the Perth Hills and Deep Woods Estate in Margaret River. Since the purchase of Lake’s Folly it has pretty much been business as usual at this iconic estate. Hunter Valley winemaker Rodney Kempe keeps Max Lake’s flame going, preserving traditional methods while producing clean, sensitively crafted wines. As ever Lake’s Folly only produces two wines and neither is a Semillon or a Shiraz, which is presumably where the ‘Folly’ part of the name comes from. However, to visit the place is to realize that this site is truly unique and set apart from the rest of the Hunter. That Max Lake was actually onto something is demonstrated in the consistent high quality and ageability of the wines. Total production here is only around 4,500 cases (less than 25% Chardonnay), with a loyal mailing list pre-buying 50-60% of production every year. I was treated to a vertical of Chardonnay and The Cabernets vintages during my visit in October 2010, with notes to follow.Lake’s Folly does not have a USA importer.
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