Angove Family Crest Clarendon Pinot Gris 2021

The Angove Family’s Angels Rise Vineyard sits high above the small town of Clarendon with an elevation of over 280m above sea level. Whilst still located within the region of McLaren Vale, its climate is quite different due to its elevation and aspect. A cool site and just a stone’s throw from the Adelaide Hills mean it is an exceptional site for producing aromatic white varieties. Wine made from the vineyard has been described by Tyson Stelzer as having ‘...a flamboyant personality that prevails despite the seasons, a signature special site unmatched by any other patch of dirt’.

2021 has been heralded by many in Australia as a “unicorn” vintage – often spoken about but rarely, if ever, seen. Perfect growing weather, cool maturation and a steady and trouble free harvest. Yields were back to normal and While summer 2019–20 was the second hottest on record, 2020–21 was the coolest in 10 years under the influence of a La Niña climate pattern. South Australia had its coolest summer in 19 years. Lovely flavourful fruit was delivered to the winery on the morning of 23rd February 2021.

A perfectly ripened crop of Pinot Gris was harvested in the cool of a Clarendon morning and transported immediately to the winery where it was destemmed and crushed to a small membrane press. Only free run juice was captured for this wine. Hard racked to retain some fluffy lees the juice was then fermented in stainless steel at low temperatures. Kept on yeast lees and stirred weekly the wine matured in tank before a small amount of preservative was added just before bottling.