Our Wine
Sauvignon blanc
A classic variety that really suits our cool climate. While it can be exuberantly fruity, we aim to use the fruit on the palate rather than focussing on the nose, and look for a wine with subtlety, complexity and length.
Our vineyards are predominantly in the cooler parts of the region, so show citric rather than tropical fruit notes. Then by only using free-run juice, a touch of Sémillon, usually around 20% barrel ferment and 30% indigenous ferments, we look for a wine with depth, something to work with food rather than dominate it.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a totally different variety to Sauvignon Blanc in that the grapes do not have a lot of inherent fruit characteristics, but everything for us with Chardonnay is about the mid-palate texture. Again, the coolness of our region helps as it means that the fruit notes are retained in the grapes.
Considered, ‘hands-off’ winemaking means we hand-pick the fruit and whole cluster press it straight to barrel where it is fermented with high solids and indigenous yeast from the vineyard. It then rests in French barriques for 11 – 15 months. Texture, complexity, and a long finish are our aims.
THE PINOT FAMILY
Such a genetically diverse grape family! At this stage, we work with both Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.
The Pinot Gris comes from very cool southern vineyards so that the fruit character is retained on the palate. As it is a low acid/high pH variety, we only use the free-run juice and ferment through to dryness. A small amount of seasoned barrel helps with texture in the mid-palate.
The Pinot Noir needs to cropped low and sited in cool vineyards as the skin is so thin and fruit aromas can easily be blown off in warmer sites. A range of clones are used and the grapes are hand-picked before being sorted prior to ferment with wild yeast. Normally about 30% is fermented with whole bunches, though this varies with the vintage. Three weeks on skins then 15 months in barrique soften the wine which, in most cases, is bottled unfiltered.