Awards and Accolades

2015 Vintage: 92 Points - James Halliday, Wine Companion
"Organically grown. The power is upfront; the elegance comes later. This is all stone fruit, quartz, flint and apple, the impression of both volume and control clear at all times. Toasty oak plays the most modest of roles. It's something of a beacon in McLaren Vale chardonnay terms."

From the Winery

2016 was a very strong year in McLaren Vale. After 6 months without rain, we had 40mm in the first week of February. This slowed down the baumes and allowed the acidity to catch up, therefore giving the fruit fantastic flavour equilibrium. Berry numbers were high due to an even veraison, which lead to the highest quality crops and tonnages this millennium.

The grapes were selector harvested in the cool of the summer night. The whole berries were gently pressed, keeping the free-run and pressings separate. Following cold settling we transferred the three parcels into a mixture of stainless steel fermenters, new (10%) and old French oak barriques where spontaneous wild fermentation occurred. The process of batonnage (lees stirring) took place over a month as well as selective natural malolactic fermentation. The Chardonnay was kept in oak for 10 months prior to blending and bottling.