Nose
A citrus profile like lemon peel, green apple and crispy pear accompanied by savory tones such as blanched almonds, black tea and a note of fresh sage.
Palate
When you taste the wine, the first thing you notice is that striking zesty acidity, which is alluring. On the palate its character maintains its fresh characteristics like white nectarine, cantaloupe, aniseed, and honeysuckle attend the aromas earlier picked up on the nose. The texture and complexity of the wine reveals the use of skin contact. This light bodied wine represents everything that it should.
Growing Conditions
A good part of the vintage growing season happens in the prior year.
For vintage 2022, it provided a fantastic vintage. Margaret River’s moderate Mediterranean climate and cool maritime influence gives strong seasonal consistency between vintages and the ability to achieve perfectly ripe fruit.
A wet winter (June to August) and dry months during the summer with little rain kept grapes safe from and provided a natural barrier to disease and heavy yields.
The growing season in spring (September to November) was typically wet and windy.
The cool temperatures and harsh Antarctic winds created vulnerability in vine development which caused delaying shoot growth and flowering dates. Rainfall in October was significant while sunny conditions in early-mid November produced a surge in vine growth and a rapid period of vine flowering. First grape variety to burst was Pinot Grigio followed by Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino and Sangiovese.
Conditions in summer were warm, dry and sunny throughout January and February, with the welcome arrival of the sea breeze a daily constant.
The yield for both white and red varietals across the region was lower than expected, influenced by warm and very dry conditions, thus lower bunch weights and small berries.
There was a substantial showing of the yellow marri blossom around the vineyard, so local birds showed little interest in the ripening grapes.
The interventions of Mother Nature both help and hinder the year-long vineyard cycle, but overall, the challenges in the vineyard were minimal.
Harvest
Commenced end of February 2022.
Winemaking
The aim for this Pinot Grigio is to reflect its freshness and energy, that is why the focus was on the sugar levels in the in the picking season. To avoid colour extraction, the cool destemmed fruit was not crushed but pressed immediately with a press enzyme that is used for juice extraction. Before fermentation the juice was fined and clarified to remove turbidity, then settled and filtered. To add texture a portion of rose Pinot Grigio was added before bottling.
Appearance
This wine is fresh, energetic, and a vibrant pale-yellow colour.
Food Pairing
It is a wonderful appetizer drink and perfect to drink cold on a hot summer day.
