Art Series Gruner Veltliner 2021

Food Matches:  This wine is best served chilled as an aperitif or alternatively would perfectly accompany a variety of Thai, Indian and Middle Eastern food.

Winemaking Notes:   2021 vintage conditions were absolutely flawless for the production of cool climate white varieties in the Adelaide Hills.  The 2020/2021 growing season was the coolest in over ten years, recording no heatwaves and only 9 days over 35 degrees and only one over 40.  Over the growing season the average temp was over 1.2 degrees cooler than the LTA of 17.2 degrees and harvest dates more like the 1980/90.   This long; even seeming to be dormant growing season ensured the maximum flavour development with little disease pressure experienced in most long cooler vintages.

2.1 tonnes of Gruner Veltliner fruit were machine harvested in the cool of night from the K1 Vineyard in Kuipto forest, after the fruit arrived at the winery it was sealed up in stainless steel tank under a blanket of Co2 cover for a cold soak on skins for three days.   After the cold soak it was sent to the press for a light pressing to extract the best free run juice which was split into two parcels. One portion was sent to tank where it was settled before fermentation in stainless steel to produce fruit forward characters of white peach, lime and grapefruit. The second portion was filled into oak barrels and allowed to undergo a wild fermentation on solids. This treatment has resulted in wine with a mid-palate richness - with honey and nutty characters evident. The two parcels were blended together following fermentation and have produced a very sophisticated, richly flavoured and attractive, complex wine.  Following stabilisation, the wine was lightly fined using natural fining agents.