2022 Al Dente

Notes from JB:
100% Chardonnay from David organically farmed vineyard in Vine Vale, close to Tanunda. The vines thrive through deep sand over red clay soil, east/west facing. Beneficial diurnal temperature thanks to the cool air coming at night from the Eden Valley Ridge. These are the first grapes we picked in 2022, all hand picked and whole bunched tipped into a stainless steel tank & enclosed to undergo carbonic maceration for about a week till the primary fermentation really picks up. Foot stomped once a day for 3 days to progressively extract the juice out of the berries & feed the yeast. The tank is then completely sealed up at the end of the primary fermentation and kept closed for seven weeks. The must has been pressed in a horizontal press quite oxidatively before heading to old seasoned French barriques which were filled to 80% & un-topped for the full length of élevage of four month. As a result the barriques have seen the formation of a yeast veil on top of the wine with a slight influence on its aromatic & its alcohol content.