Appellation:
Yarra Valley
Vineyards:
Sexton, Gruyere Farm, Tarraford, Applejack, Wombat Creek Vineyards.
SEASON:
2019 was a rollercoaster… with fluctuating temperatures and rain events through Spring driving a very successful flowering in the Gruyere and Tarrawarra sub regions, but a much lower crop set in the Upper Yarra. We then had beautiful, moderate weather in early summer which gave us rich dark green canopies, so that despite a few heat spikes in January, we had access to plenty of pristine bunches at harvest. Acidities were surprisingly fresh, perhaps driven by cool nights and the Chardonnay parcels have a depth and intensity we haven’t seen since 2015.
VINIFICATION:
100% hand-picked, all fruit is chilled overnight to 12 deg Celsius. Whole bunch pressed, fermentation on full juice solids, wild yeast. Fermented entirely in 500L French puncheons – 10% new, 90% older. No lees stirring. No malolactic fermentation. Matured in French oak – 10% new, 90% older – for only 8 months. Blended and chilled in tank prior to bottling in late Spring