Family Reserve Sparkling

The low yielding vines and winemaking techniques have produced a wine of intense granny smith apple and citrus blossom aromas. The palate is dominated with green apple and lime, whilst well balanced acidity promotes the freshness of the wine.

Growing Season
2010 was a mild growing season in Orange with late rain causing havoc with many varieties. The fruit for this wine was sourced from a small vineyard located at 720 meters above sea level. The vines were canopy managed using a VSP system and no irrigation required for the season. We were fortunate that we harvested this Chardonnay early on March the 18th before the rain in the region.

Winemaking
The fruit was sourced from an ultra cool vineyard (elevation 920m) at the base of Orange's Mt. Canobolas. The fruit was harvested when granny smith apple and lime flavour dominated the flavour profile. At the Winery the grapes were whole bunched pressed at 4˚C to minimise phenolic extraction. Fermentation of the free run juice was performed in stainless steel tank at 14˚C to maintain freshness, whilst aromatic yeasts were used to promote aromatics. The wine was aged on gross lees to build palate texture.

Tasting Notes
The low yielding vines and winemaking techniques have produced a wine of intense granny smith apple and citrus blossom aromas. The palate is dominated with green apple and lime, whilst well balanced acidity promotes the freshness of the wine. It is elegant, vibrant and a beautiful complement to fresh, flavoursome canapés.