Watervale Riesling 2021

Our Watervale Riesling is picked from our special part of the Florita vineyard in Watervale. This famous Rieslng vineyard achieves full ripeness, with high natural acid levels.

The Clare Valley is not so much a single valley, but a series of undulating hills contained within higher ranges on the borders of the grape growing area. Vine aspect and row orientation is as critical as soil type to the suitability of a vineyard site for a particular variety with South or East facing slopes best suited for Rieslign as they are shielded from the hot Northerly winds that can occur during Summer and also receive the cooler morning sun. The Watervale Riesling vines are trained to a permanent single cordon with two bud spurs to promote even canopy growth along the cordon for shading and to avoid clumping or crowding. of fruit to reduce disease. The foliage is managed with a partial VSP to maximise shading on the Northern and Western sides of the rows and allow air and dappled sunlight in on the South or East side. The vines are irrigated with the aim to maintain leaf and canopy to prevent sunburn and to ensure even and balanced ripening of the fruit. Mulching is employed undervine to inhibit weed competition and to preserve soil moisture.

Pressed off skins within 1 hour of harvest, free run juice is cold settled and racked into stainless steel tanks for cool fermentation at 14 to 16oC. Fermentation is completed in 2 to 3 weeks and the individual batches are blended before stabilisation and filtration.