Vintage

Heavier than normal winter rains and cooler temperatures delayed budburst (our second latest) but warmer spring weather resulted in perfect conditions for flowering leading to very good fruit set and promising high yields. In fact, particularly down the hill, crop adjustment was required to ensure even maturity and high quality outcomes. Grapes matured with optimum sugar, flavour and tannin development resulting in high quality parcels from all sites. It was our third earliest harvest, leading to our shortest ever hang time (budburst-harvest 179 days against an average of 203 days).

Vineyards :: Clones

Osborn (59%), Wallis (30%), Spedding (11%) :: D1V7 (100%)

Harvest date :: Yield

Hand picked 27 February-8 March 2018 :: 7.3 tonnes/ha (3.0 t/acre, ~43.8hl/ha)

Brix :: pH :: TA

22.4-23.4° (12.4-13.0° Baumé) :: 3.12-3.35 :: 6.2-9.1 g/l

Winemaking

Grapes hand-harvested from late February to early March, whole bunch pressed and the unsettled juice fermented by indigenous yeasts in old 228 litre French oak barrels and 500 litre puncheons. A 7 month aging in barrel with no bâtonnage to keep wines fresher and more taut. Natural partial (71%) malolactic fermentation before bottling unfined and filtered.

Winemakers

Sandro Mosele, Martin Spedding

Aging :: Oak

7 months :: old 228 litre French oak barrels and 500 litre puncheons

Malolactic

Partial (71%)

Residual sugar

Dry (0.7 g/l)

Finished pH :: TA

3.27 :: 5.6 g/l

Alcohol

13.5% (8.0 standard drinks/750ml bottle)

Production

658 dozen :: bottled 4 October 2018 :: screwcap

Release date

April 2019

TASTING NOTES

Understated, yet quietly full flavoured, Pinot Gris that is all about textural grip and crunchy acidity. Whispers of apple and a little nougat on a palate that has more weight the closer you look. Gris with freshness and depth, just don’t drink it too cold.

Andrew Graham [March 2019, commissioned by TMBT]

Food :: Temperature

Vietnamese duck rice paper rolls.:: serve at 10–13°C

Best drinking

2019-2024