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.
A cooler and slightly wetter than average winter delayed the start of the growing season. The vineyard experienced regular rainfall and warm temperatures throughout the spring. This was followed by warm and dry summer months. Even though the temperatures during the ripening period were slightly up on average, we did not experience any days of extreme heat. This consistently warm weather enabled the grapes to develop lovely full flavours.
The 2018 Sophie's Block Chardonnay grapes were hand picked in late February and early 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. There was no malolactic fermentation and limited barrel stirring to maintain the acid drive and structure of the wine. Winery Notes
