Gilbert Orange Chardonnay

Gilbert Family Wines have their roots in the Eden Valley of South Australia, where Joseph Gilbert was one of the first to plant grapes. They still make high quality Rieslings there under the Gilbert + Gilbert label. Now, however, the majority of their wines come from the cool-climate and increasingly fashionable regions of Orange and Mudgee in New South Wales. Simon Gilbert established the winery in 2004 after working for more than two decades as winemaker for some of the top producers in the area. Simon and his son, Will, specialise in cool-climate wines with a common thread of elegance, purity and structure. This winery is right at the front of Australia's new wave, making a wide range of award-winning wines which balance traditional styles and techniques with the more experimental. This wine is from the Borrodell vineyard in foothills of Mt Canobolas, Orange where the vineyards have soil rich in volcanic ash. At around 1000 metres above sea level, it is deep, well drained clay loam, and red and brown ferrosol soils derived from basalt, with silty textures being found on the hill top sites. With Orange being the highest wine growing region in Australia, grapes grown here not only enjoy all the benefits of its cooler temperatures, and unique topography, but also benefit from over 9hrs per day of direct sunshine during the growing season. The combination of both the cooler climate and plentiful sunshine, is vital to the fruits ability to develop intense aroma and maintain flavour, giving these grapes a long mouth feel and flavour profile. Handpicked and hand sorted at harvest, these grapes were harvested in small lots in the early morning, to take advantage of the cool morning temperatures. The fruit was whole bunch crushed and pressed, separating the free-run from the pressings. Following this the juice was cold settled overnight without the addition of enzymes. Still with a high NTU, the high solids juice was racked to oak and concrete egg where primary fermentation took place. Minimal malolactic fermentation occurred as we sulphured each individual vessel after the completion of primary ferment. Maturation in old and new oak + concrete took place for 9 months on full lees before being stirred and transferred to stainless steel for a further 6 months, still on full lees. Built around freshness and acidity this elegant Chardonnay delivers medium-bodied notes of white peach, grapefruit, macadamia nuts and flinty minerality on the crisp finish.