Description
‘Pete and his partner Magali Gely operate what I think is the best new-wave of small-scale Barossa wine companies to emerge at the beginning of the 21st century… These weren’t big, blockbuster, showy wines designed to impress. They were wines that managed to take the best of the Barossa’s sometimes forgotten varietal traditions and fuse them onto a very European flavour sensibility.’ Max Allen, The future makers
‘It seems that Spinifex wines can do no wrong.’ Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
When quizzed on the name of this wine, Winemaker Pete Schell said that most wines seem to fall into a “masculine” or a “feminine” style. When he first made this wine back in 2001, he felt it couldn’t be categorised – it was a bit of both. Like the song “Lola” says “she walked like a woman and talked like a man”.
About this wine: Pete Schell is crafting a flock of exciting whites from the Barossa. Lola is the original and, some would say, most multi-layered release. Semillon has taken the lead for the last few years and again plays a commanding role at 74% of the blend in 2024. It’s joined by Grenache Gris (16%) and Clairette (10%). The Semillon—a grape grown in the Barossa Valley since the 1850s—is sourced from 90+-year-old, low-yielding vines in Ebenezer. The Grenache Gris is estate fruit from Spinifex’s Dominion Vineyard, and the Clairette is from an elevated site in Rowland Flat on the valley’s eastern side. The old-vine Semillon brings weight, Grenache Gris lends citrus and spice, and the late-ripening Clairette, with its excellent acid retention, provides a mouthwatering pop of freshness.
Schell’s attention in the vineyards and a light touch in the shed have given us another exceptional release of this unconventional white. Each parcel was picked by hand and spent 2-4 hours on skins before being destemmed and pressed to a combination of stainless steel (Clairette and Semillon) and mature French oak (Grenache Gris). The wines spent six months on lees before being blended and bottled. A portion of the Semillon went through malolactic conversion. As with all the Spinifex whites, this will shine at the dining table. It’s as savoury as it is primary, with fleshy medium weight, citrus, spice and herb notes and a delicious waxy texture.
RRP $32 *Our Special Price $27.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine*
