2021 WHITE LABEL CERES HILL SEMILLON

Growing Season

With much welcomed spring rain in 2020 we saw excellent canopy balance through all vineyards for our 2021 vintage. A mild summer allowed for excellent acid retention and a long ripening period resulting in elegant fruit character and seamless acid balance in white wines coming from 2021.

Vineyard

The vineyard faces east and has less sun exposure allowing for slower, even ripening. The soil is grey, alluvial clay which forces the vines to work hard giving lower yields and more concentrated fruit. This grey soil is distinct from the dolerite soil on the Fordwich Sill and gives Semillon with higher acidity and finer flavours. We ensure extra concentration in the fruit by keeping yields low and ‘fruit thinning’ when necessary which requires cutting off underripe grapes during the growing season so the vine can concentrate its energy to ripening the remaining bunches on the vine. 

Winemaking

The grapes were handpicked when just ripe, to maintain fine flavours and naturally high acidity. The juice was fermented on full solids using indigenous yeasts which offered a uniquely different style of Semillon contributing more generous aromatics than what is traditionally expected from Hunter Valley Semillon. In the winery, we leave the wine on lees to develop palate texture.

Tasting Notes

This wine has a lovely aromatics of lemon myrtle and chamomile flower. The palate shows preserved lemon peel, Tahitian lime with an edge of passionfruit husk with sherbet-like acidity on the palate.. The texture is dry with river stone and mineral notes and the finish is long and refreshing with tingling acidity.

Wine Composition

pH                                                           3.08

Titratable Acidity                                     7.8g/L

Alcohol                                                   11.5%

Residual Sugar                                       < 1g/L

Vine Age

50 years

Food Match

Tuna sashimi with pear, soy and yuzu

Cellaring Potential

10 + years