We had good spring rains but lower summer rainfall than we usually receive in McLaren Vale. As a result of this dry growing period, disease pressure was low (no mildews!) although we had a couple of heat spikes in late January and some hot days in February which resulted in reduced crops compared to 2018 (down by up to 30% depending on variety).  Whites were picked early in February and picking of the reds started at the beginning of March and was largely all over by the end of the month. Quality is terrific however, and we have great hopes for the reds from 2019 and judging by this (new) white wine, the whites are pretty smart too.

Our chardonnay is a proper one which is fermented and matured in small French oak barrels. We stop the wine going through malo (MLF – malolactic fermentation, a secondary bacterial fermentation that occurs after the sugar – to- alcohol fermentation) because we want to retain the wine’s natural acidity, and MLF softens that acidity and makes it taste buttery. It’s not the 1980’s here, after all.

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