Nose
An alluring nose of green rock melon, sweet and tangy mangosteen followed by that typical crispy green and red apple. It shows off its youthfulness.
Palate
The aromas picked up in the nose moves further to the palate. You fall into a soft bed of dried roses and chamomile while that tropical fruit salad presents itself. It is shaped and framed – it goes all the way through, from the front to back of your palate. It has volume and capacity, yet still subtle. The residual sugar in the wine gives you that gentle texture and it accompanies that prominent acidity very well – it invites you to drink another glass.
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 start of March 2022.
Winemaking
When we look at Vermentino the aim was to balance the racy acidity with an off-dry palate. It represents the ability of the variety – the freshness being the soul that express a summer and beach vibrancy. The focus during picking Vermentino is to represent that crunchy acidity and the fresh flavour expression of this grape varietal. Cool destemmed fruit was pressed immediately, cold settled, racked and inoculated with a yeast that strain enhancing varietal aroma, elegance, and complexity to the final product. Throughout fermentation the acidity level was monitored closely to create that perfect balance of acidity and residual sugar level, then clarified, filtered and bottled.
Appearance
This Vermentino shows in the glass a bright and clear pale yellow-green colour.
Food Pairing
It flatters with oysters, saline nuances in food and it embraces the Asian cuisine.
