Nose
Fragrant notes of lemon and lime, honeysuckle, dried
apricots, waxy crayon, crème brulee and sultana.
Palate
Bright and zesty lime marmalade interweaves with a fine
drying lemongrass texture. A driving natural acidity carries the
concentrated sweetness effortlessly to a mouth-watering finish.
Growing Conditions
This wine is produced from Semillon using the Cane Cut method,
where each fruiting cane is detached from the vine. The bunches
are left hanging until the fruit has dried and concentrated in flavour
and sugar.2017 was a cooler and later vintage than the previous 10 years;
a year of elegant, perhaps slightly lighter bodied wines, though
ripe in flavour, vibrant and very perfumed. Higher than average
yields in combination with a cooler season contributed to delayed
ripening of the fruit and good acid retention. Some timely warmth
and sunshine occurred throughout January, although February
temperatures remained moderate with some rainfall. With the
cooler weather, canopy management and fruit thinning was
imperative to mitigate disease pressures and allow for even,
persistent ripening. There was a warm start to March to finish the
white harvest, followed by the driest April since 1982, finishing the
reds beautifully.
Winemaking
The fruiting Semillon canes were cut just above the cordon as they
achieved ripeness, restricting their access to water. The fruit dried
and shrivelled on the canes, concentrating the sugar, flavour and
acid for approximately four weeks before harvest. Great care was
taken to ensure the fruit remained healthy during this period and
that precise levels of concentration were achieved. The fruit and
juice was macerated for 15 hours in the press prior to extraction.
The wine was fermented and matured in French oak and a portion
in stainless steel.
Appearance
Pale straw with a green tinge.
