By Farr GC Côte Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

The GC Côte Vineyard Chardonnay is By Farr's flagship Chardonnay. It is named after founder Gary Farr - GC stands for Gary Charles. Fruit is sourced from a close-planted/ high density planting of Chardonnay on the Côte vineyard, an exposed côte with hillsides facing North, North East and East. This vineyard will be the backbone of the Farr dynasty for decades to come. 

"Bright and shiny light to mid yellow colour; roasted hazelnut and lemon curd aromas, a suggestion of marzipan or almond. The wine is intense and precise on the palate, beautifully focused and concentrated yet with great poise and finesse, the finish powering long with a cleansing, refreshing follow-through. Beautiful chardonnay, with great potential."  Huon Hooke

"The wine has an amazing smoothness and calmness that stretches the length of the palate, surrounded with textured fruit and mineral elements. We have been playing with the fruit from these vineyards for more than 8 years, fine tuning the style of wine that these vineyards are producing. What a result once it all came together.

The Côte vineyards consist of the most suitable clones, rootstocks, trellising and management you will find for our landscape. This is our tribute to what 'Gazza' has achieved over 40 years for chardonnay and pinot noir in our region and Australia.

The north côte is a red to brown loam with buckshot stones across the surface. The most exposed of the three votes, but is harvested last of all because of the large amount of clay, which holds valuable moisture for a longer time than the other slopes.

The east côte is divided through the center of the slope by a rise. Black volcanic soil with fragmented limestone in one direction and grey loam with buckshot stones in the other direction. Soil is King as the East cote has the least amount of clay and therefore water holding capacity, resulting in it being harvested first even though it is the coolest côte of the three."  By Farr

Huon Hooke and Nick Farr discuss By Farr: Australian Winery of the Year 2022

Expert reviews

"Bright and shiny light to mid yellow colour; roasted hazelnut and lemon curd aromas, a suggestion of marzipan or almond. The wine is intense and precise on the palate, beautifully focused and concentrated yet with great poise and finesse, the finish powering long with a cleansing, refreshing follow-through. Beautiful chardonnay, with great potential. Drink: 2024-2038."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 98 points

About the winery 

The Farr estate is located in the Moorabool Valley between Geelong and Ballarat, 100km southwest of Melbourne. Grape growing in this region dates back more than 200 years, with Swiss settlers planting Victoria's first vineyards here in the early 1800s. The rich volcanic soil and continental climate at the estate produce premium fruit with a flavour, bouquet and colour that is unique to our surrounding area.

Gary and Robyn Farr purchased the original property in 1994 and the second section in 1998 - this latter had been untouched for almost 40 years and consisted of dense boxthorn and noxious weeds. The final piece of the puzzle, which links the two blocks of land, was purchased by their son Nick in 2011, making a total of 130 acres - of which 36 acres are under vine and the remainder is maintained as grazing and cropping for cattle and horses. With a mixture of different clones and rootstocks, the grape varieties grown here are viognier, chardonnay, pinot noir, gamay and shiraz.

Notoriously brusque but hugely admired and loved, Gary Farr has been making wine in the Moorabool Valley, Bannockburn since 1978. While the landscape has undergone many changes in the past decades, Gary's approach to wine has not and it is this fastidious attention to detail that has inspired a whole generation of vignerons. His experience as a hands-on winemaker was shaped by time spent at Domain Dujac in Burgundy, Cristom in Oregon and Calera in California. Gary developed an appreciation for the beauty of shiraz and viognier from his many journeys to France's Rhone Valley, where he also learned techniques for incorporating these wonderful varieties into his winemaking.

The baton has now been passed on to Nick to carry on the Farr legacy. Nick Farr readily acknowledges the influence of his father in his winemaking and viticultural practices - however, these have been significantly enhanced by his own vast experience. While he was growing up, Nick often worked alongside his father on the family estate before a stint at Rosemount in the Hunter Valley in the late 90s. This was followed by more vintages with Gary as well as at Innisfail Vineyards in the Bannockburn area, where Nick commenced his label Farr Rising. Like his father, Nick has experience at international vineyards, including Cristom in Oregon, Au Bon Climate in California, and Domain Dujac in Burgundy. The reins may have been handed over to the next generation, but Gary, who produced what legendary wine connoisseur Len Evans called 'Australia's best pinot', still keeps a watchful eye over proceedings to ensure the wine continues to meet his high standards.

"The wines we make are not mainstream—they are expressions of our vineyard, our land and what we like to drink. That is what we promise to deliver.”  Nick Farr

 Climate and soils

"The microclimate of the Moorabool Valley is influenced by winds from the western plains and bracing sea breezes, which regulate the temperature on long, sunny days and cool the air overnight. This climate is key to producing naturally balanced, low-yield fruit that is rich in flavour.

The region's environment is both cool and harsh for viticulture, due to the low rainfall and ever-prevailing winds that sweep across the barren western plains of Victoria. On average we receive 240mm of the 540mm annual rainfall in the growing season. The variation of temperatures between night and day helps us achieve complex and long-palate structures in our wines. Farming our land is not easy, but we believe the best wines are born from the most challenging environments.

Our vineyards are based on ancient river deposits within the Moorabool Valley. Thousands of years later, we are reaping the rewards of these complex and mineral-rich soils, which lend their unique characteristics to our grapes.

There are six different soils spread across the Farr property, with the two main types being rich, friable red and black volcanic loam, and limestone, which dominates the loam in some areas. The other soils are quartz gravel through a red volcanic soil, ironstone (called buckshot) in grey sandy loam with a heavy clay base, sandstone base, and volcanic lava rock. The soil's good drainage and low fertility are crucial in ensuring small yields of intensely flavoured fruit.

The soil structure and microclimate at our vineyard make it ideal for growing pinot noir and chardonnay, and our location rates among the world's best for both varieties."  By Farr