Description
Adrian Rodda has been involved in making wine since 1998, spending more than decade at Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley. In 2010, Adrian moved to Beechworth in the North East of Victoria to produce a Chardonnay from the Smiths Vineyard, the oldest vineyard in modern Beechworth viticulture. In 2012, Adrian commenced the “Chardonnay Project” whereby he sources grapes from the Willow Lake Vineyard in the Yarra Valley and vinifies them in parallel with the Smiths Vineyard Chardonnay. In 2017, a third single vineyard Chardonnay was produced from the Baxendale Vineyard at Whitlands in the cool upper reaches of North East Victoria.
Since 2011, the range has also included a Bordeaux Blend, based around Cabernet Sauvignon also sourced from the Smiths Vineyard, and a Tempranillo from the Aquila Audax Vineyard, Adrian’s first foray with a Mediterranean variety.
Sitting on the edge of an escarpment, the vineyard is planted at 580 metres above sea level in deep, shaley, mudstone soils. Vineyard Owner/Operator Mark Walpole (ex-Brown Brothers Viticulturist) employs a fastidious viticultural approach that combines arch-cane pruning with judicious leaf plucking and fruit thinning. This, in conjunction with the inherent suitability of the site to the variety, ensures the desired fruit flavour profile and tannin maturation is achieved in the vineyard.
After hand harvesting, the majority of fruit was de-stemmed, lightly crushed and cold soaked for four days. A small parcel of 100 per cent whole bunches was fermented separately making up approximately 17 per cent of the final blend. During fermentation, the timing and combination of pump-overs, rack and returns, pigeage and plunging was to preserve aromatics and perfume yet extract adequate tannins for structure and length. Post-fermentation, the wine was held on skins for a further 15 days before pressing to French oak hogsheads (36% first use) for 15 months. The wine was then transferred to old 600 litre thick stave oak casks for a further 6 months prior to bottling.
Intense aromas of violets, dark cherries and cinnamon spice are complexed by hints of graphite and spiced plums. On the palate, supple dark fruit characters are interwoven with fine, powdery tannins providing a finish that is long, intense and ever so savoury.
93 points, Jenni Port for Halliday Wine Companion “For the winemaker, ’23 was the coldest, latest vintage experienced in Beechworth. In turn, the ’23 tempranillo is tuned to some cooler, expressive fruits and higher, sinewy tannins. Black cherry, sour cherry, undergrowth, dry leaves, pepper and dried herbs fill the palate, earthy in tone and swift in acidity. Best accompanied by food, preferably duck.”
RRP $47 *Our Special Price $39.50 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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