Winery & Vintage Info
The famous Beechworth region is known for its iconic wines. Much of this can be attributed to the altitude, granitic soil and climate. The vineyard is located on the Beechworth-Wangaratta Road, at an altitude of 400m. The Chardonnay is planted on the South East facing slope, in deep decomposed granitic top soil over rich clay.
Sophie’s Block is situated on the coolest part of the site. This cooler Mesoclimate enhances the delicate but powerful flavours in the grapes. Given its proximity to some of Beechworth’s finest vineyards, the Chardonnay is already showing the exciting potential of this site. Five different clones, including the Bernard clones have been close planted at 1.2m x 2.4m rows to maximise intensity and complexity.
Vintage 2017 was an ideal vintage. Beechworth experienced a long, mild, dry summer, and an early autumn. These slow ripening conditions resulted in delicate varietal flavours and balanced natural acidity. The grapes and resultant wines from 2017 show large amounts of fruit flavour and character. Vintage 2017 will be one of those years that we will talk about as being a “normal” vintage, and we will be enjoying these wines well into the future.
The grapes were hand picked on 4th March. This wine was made using traditional Burgundian techniques and the grapes were destemmed and gently pressed. Wild fermentation occurred with the vineyard’s indigenous yeast in French oak barriques and hogsheads. The barrels used were 27% new and a mixture of older oak. There was no malolactic fermentation and limited barrel stirring to maintain the acid drive and structure of the wine. Winery Notes
