Our Wines —

 
 

2016 Pétillant Naturel Riesling Eden Valley 11% alc/v

(469 750mL bottles, 42 1500mL magnums produced)
This wine is made by the Rural or Artisanal Method of sparkling wine making, where the wine is bottled before the primary fermentation is complete. This is the first wine I have made using fruit from the EdenValley. After hand picking the fruit was destemmed and left with skin contact for approx 18 hours to extract flavour, phenolics and some tannins. Natural fermentation took place in stainless steel tank. When the fermentation was in its final stages the wine was racked off the gross lees and a small amount of fresh juice was added to bring the sugar level in the must to the desired level (approx 18g/L). Fermentation then continued as the wine warmed in bottle and stopped when yeast could not cope with the pressure, leaving a fresh, vibrant, textural wine that is gently sparkling with a small amount of residual sugar which is barely noticeable with the wines steely acidity. Bottles have been hand disgorged without freezing the cap to remove the bulk of yeast lees. Some lees may remain, the amount varies with each bottle. No sulfur dioxide (preservative) has been added at any stage; naturally occurring sulfites may be present from the fermentation process. The wine smells of apples, fresh and baked, lemons and bready brioche with an earthy savoury element.

 

2016 Pétillant Naturel Shiraz Rosé Yarra Valley 11% alc/v

(908 750mL bottles produced)
This wine is made by the Rural or Artisanal Method of sparkling wine making, where the wine is bottled before the primary fermentation is complete. For this wine that was 21 days after picking. The fruit for this wine came from the Six Js Vineyard (formerly know as Roundstone) in Steels Creek in the lower Yarra Valley. After hand picking the fruit was whole bunch pressed quite firmly to extract colour and some phenolics. Natural fermentation took place in old 300L and 500L barrels. When the fermentation was in its final stages the wine was racked off the gross lees and a small amount of fresh Cabernet Franc juice was added to bring the sugar level in the must to the desired level (approx 18g/L). Fermentation then continued as the wine warmed in bottle and stopped when yeast could not cope with the pressure, leaving a fresh, vibrant, textural wine that is gently sparkling with a small amount of residual sugar which is in balance with the wines acidity. Bottles have been dirtily hand disgorged without freezing the cap to remove the bulk of yeast lees but leave a small amount that adds to texture and helps keep the wine fresh. Amount of lees varies with each bottle. Tartrates that formered on the side of the bottle when the wine cooled over winter may not have been completely removed by disgorging. No sulfur dioxide (preservative) has been added at any stage; naturally occurring sulfites may be present from the fermentation process.

2016 Pinot Gris Yarra Valley 11% alc/v

750mL (1461 750mL bottles & 90 1500mL magnums produced)
The fruit for this wine came from the Coombe Farm Vineyard in the Yarra Valley. After hand picking the Pinot Gris was whole bunch pressed, settled overnight, racked (60% to old 225L barrels, 40% to stainless steel tank) and allowed to spontaneously ferment. The wine spent 9 months in barrel on full lees. A separate portion of Pinot Gris was fermented as whole bunches with full skin contact in stainless steel tank. This was pressed two weeks later and transferred to an old 225L barrel to complete fermentation, and then left on full lees for 8 months. This portion makes up just 7% of the final wine, but adds texture and gentle grip. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, and no sulfur dioxide (preservative) has been added at any stage; naturally occurring sulfites may be present from the fermentation process.  The wine displays subtle flavours of pear, white flowers and oyster shell with a distinct saline minerality and a gentle savoury grip.

 

2016 Shiraz Pinot Gris Yarra Valley 12% alc/v

750mL (677 750mL bottles & 30 1500mL magnums produced)
The Shiraz fruit for this wine came from the Six Js Vineyard (formerly know as Roundstone) in Steels Creek in the lower Yarra Valley. After hand picking the fruit was transferred as whole bunches to a stainless steel tank, which was sealed up, and allowed to spontaneously ferment. After fermenting for about a week the Shiraz was pressed to a stainless steel tank to continue fermentation. When fermentation was complete the Shiraz was racked to an old 500L puncheon for maturation for 8 months. A separate portion of Pinot Gris from the Coombe Farm Vineyard was fermented as whole bunches with full skin contact in stainless steel tank. This was pressed two weeks later and transferred to an old 225L barrel to complete fermentation, and then left on full lees for 8 months. This portion makes up approx 15% of the final wine. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, with a small addition of sulfur dioxide prior to fermentation and then again just prior to bottling. The wine smells rich with ripe red fruits, sarsaparilla and a sappy stemminess, in the mouth it is light to medium bodied with dusty tannins, red fruits, earthiness and aniseed.