Palate
The gentle fruit notes of honeysuckle, pear drop and lime zest distinguish this wine’s southern Margaret River origin. The supple stone fruits and bright citrus on the palate are delicately integrated with nutmeal, lemon curd, vanillin and meringue after natural fermentation and time in oak. Restraint and length is further enhance by the fine mineral texture and bright acidity.
Growing Conditions
The first signs of the approaching vintage began with budburst in the spring of 2014 as the vines shrugged off their winter dormancy. During this formative period, the weather conditions began to shape the forthcoming vintage. In the temperate climes of southern Margaret River, the preceding winter provided adequate rainfall for sustained vine growth. As the earth gradually faced more to the sun, a warm, dry summer set the stage for a promising outcome. When verasion began in late January, the native marri blossom was absent in Margaret River - another battle to be fought as netting becomes an annual necessity to protect the valuable crop. The middle autumn period, so often spotted with potential cyclonic fallout did produce intermittent and lingering rain in late March, which slowed the harvest and cooled the season. In summary, the 2015 vintage from Margaret River is a mixed bag, with early varieties such as Chardonnay producing excellent wine.
Winemaking
After minimal settling, the juices ferment naturally in a mix of French oak barrels that range in capacity from 225lt to 600lt, 40% is new. Fermentation temperature is controlled between 18⁰C to 22⁰C and the lees are stirred weekly from later in the fermentation until dry. The separate parcels are then matured on their lees, in barrel for 11 months. During this period of maturation, a portion of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation.
