Olivia's Chardonnay 2016
Olivias Chardonnay 2016
Winemaker: Anthony Miceli
Picked: 06/3/2016 - 01/4/2016
Winemaking:
Hand-picked in small batches over a prolonged period, to achieve complexity and fullness of flavours and a balance of acid and alcohol. The size of the vineyard enables us to handle the grapes in their picking buckets directly into the press, which are then whole bunch pressed, to maintain maximum fruit and minimum extraction of hard skin tannins. The juice then undergoes mildly oxidative treatment to further remove harsh tannins before being settled at ambient temperature and racked just as wild yeast fermentation begins. Riper fractions are augmented with cultured yeast.
The juice is then 100% barrel fermented to complete dryness. Malolactic fermentation is completed by late spring after the wine is sulphured.
The wine then remains in barrel in contact with its fermentation lees, up until the next vintage when the barrels are emptied for the new wine, and a percentage re-filled.
This time and labour consuming process enables full oak integration, and produces creamy mouthfeel, complexity and depth.
Oak: 25% new approx, 100% French
Alc. 13.0%
Tasting Notes:
Complex, elegant, balanced and dry Chardonnay
This wine is fermented in oak and remains in contact with its yeast lees for a full year with
100% malolactic fermentation.Peach, citrus, melon, butterscotch, and struck match.
Beautifully intergrated toasty oak. Intense rich and complex and textural, with racy acidity
Cellaring: With barrel and bottle age this wine is drinking beautifully now but will continue to improve for at least a further 5 years, developing honey and toastiness in addition to the delicious fruit.
Winemaker’s Comments:
Not over-oaked by this length of ageing, it shows lovely balance and integration, remaining “fine” and demonstrating the elegance and length only possible with long ripening in cool conditions.
Our maritime climate and southerly location means we have mild daytime temperatures which slow sugar accumulation, and relatively warm night temperatures which allow grape metabolism to produce flavour compounds rather than shutting down overnight. This is a contrast to more northerly and inland vineyards with high elevation, where high daytime temperatures and cold nights allow sugar ripeness to exceed flavour development.
The 2016 vintage continues our prolonged run of warm, relatively dry summers, and dry, mild, autumns. A mild Autumn gives this wine richness and also balance, with fresh acidity and citrus notes, it is a true expression of our climate - our “terroir”. The range of picking dates adds to the balance and flavour complexity of the wine.
A long way from “mainstream” Australian Chardonnay it does not rely on brute strength, alcohol, or sugar to impress.
Olivia is our second daughter, and is with pride that her name is given to this wine.
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