2022 Minim Faraday Chardonnay - Bendigo, VIC. 750ml
IN THE VINEYARD….this is a larger commercial operation sitting on the foothills of my favourite hills in the state – Leangnaook! The proudest and most prominent outcrop of the Harcourt Granodiorite which dominates our local landscrape and provides some of the best vineyard sites in our region, maybe even state! An underlooked area that we see huge potential in and a bright future for organic viticulture. Our Metcalfe vineyards have their feet in same soils. This site is not organic and run fairly conventionally but consistently produces fruit of great concentration and aroma. Sitting at around 500 metres above sea level this is about as Macedon as Bendigo can get. Big acid always at this site!
IN THE WINERY….destemmed fruit soaked on skins for 6-8 hours before pressing to tank for further settling prior to ferment. The cold settled juice was then moved to seasoned puncheons for primary ferment over the following 3 weeks. Barrels were topped and moved to the cellar, resting on gross lees for 7 months before being racked with a small sulphur addition and settling in tank. Bottling occurred in February 2022 with the wines sealed under Diam cork.
IN THE GLASS….aromatically this wine is all citrus and white blossom, with gentle spice and stewed apple owing largely to the preferment skin maceration. The palate is dry and textural leaning more savoury than sweet with lemon and green apple, cinnamon and anise. The finish is long and generous, built phenolically by careful use of skin contact, a habit we tend to lean on a little here and there.
Wild Yeast - Unfiltered - Unadjusted - Low Sulphur
