Rocky Road Chardonnay 2010
Tasting Note
This wine shows edges of fruit tingle, brioche, restrained custard powder, and ginger with some mealy notes. The linear palate is supported by a lemon and lime backbone. White nectarine gives fresh punchy flesh and weight while white peach fruits fill the veins. Nuances of barley sugar, fig and nectarine make for a seductive glassfull. Lively and racy.
Ryan Walsh, winemaker
THE SEASON
With El Nino has come a progressively reduced rainfall. Spring has been alittle wetter and summer has had more temperature extremes. In 2009spring was again wet and blustery and shaping to be something like 2008.But a heat spike in January 2010 with a week of 35 degree+ brought whitesinto line quickly and within an instant they were coming off earlier than average.Reds drew out as things cooled off heading into March. Patience toget tannin ripeness in reds proved dividends though an early break to theseason with rainfall had us on the edge of our seats.
VINEYARDS
Fruit is sourced from the Rocky Road Vineyard which lies in the headwatersof the Chapman Brook, near Witchcliffe in the south of the Margaret Riverregion. With a northerly aspect, the vines enjoy long days of sunshine, moderatedby the vineyard's southern location. The vines are grown on a singlebilateral cordon with a vertically trained canopy. It is a simple and practicalformat that maximises light penetration and maintains a balanced vine.
VINIFICATION
Grapes are harvested in the cool of the night and following whole berrypressing, the juice is settled and then run into barrels for processing Somebatches are inoculated with yeast whilst others are left to proceed with anatural fermentation. The finished wine is left on spent yeast cells until theblend is assembled and bottled in late summer.
Alcohol: 13.5%
pH: 3.08Acidity: .64
Residual Sugar: 1.7
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