A good looking bunch

It gets busy towards the end of summer and our focus was on the land. Over Easter and beyond we were madly measuring, coordinating, testing, picking, tasting, hauling and pressing.

The end result was lots of delicious juice that will become our 2021 Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay and a handful of Gewürztraminer.

I'm happy to say there was more sweat than tears. Picking conditions remained optimal, despite best efforts from the rain gods.

Rain, as you know, causes the grapes to swell and split. This not only ruins their flavour profile but leaves them open to every living pest under the sun. It can kill a year's work.

After sitting with the skins and fermenting, our juice is off to barrel. There it will sit for the next year or so, gently smoothing away any rough edges after being treated so rudely!

We choose French oak barrels from Francois Frères. I believe they make some of the best barrels in the world. This is important because that oak influences the wine's tannins. They say Pinot and Chardonnay tend to 'soak up' oak flavour more than other varietals.

One last thing before I go. The 2019 Chardonnay is drinking beautifully at the moment, and will do for the next few years. It pairs well with all white meats and fish and has good acid to cut through oily food, too. It is getting cooler, after all...

That's all from me. We're now preparing for the Winter Wine Weekend which has been postponed due to Melbourne's little outbreak. We hope to see you down here soon enough.

Paul