Dalrymple Cave Block Chardonnay

Dalrymple Cave Block Chardonnay bottle image

Wine Description

The fruit was sourced from blocks B and C for the Dalrymple Cave Block Chardonnay. These blocks are located just under the brow of the hill and run down towards the east, collecting the first rays of sun for the day. Well sheltered from the cool north-westerly winds by the hill at Dalrymple provides a microclimate that is slightly warmer than other blocks on the top of the hill. The soils also have a large quantity of basalt rock that provides good drainage of water through the profile, while allowing vines to penetrate to great depth, thus accessing water in dry conditions.

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Acclaim
"Limpid straw. Lively orchard and pit fruits on the smoke- and mineral-accented nose. Nicely concentrated but quite energetic as well, offering nervy pear skin, Meyer lemon and quinine flavors and a touch of iodine. Shows excellent focus and vibrancy thanks to juicy acidity, which adds focus and cut to the very long, sappy, mineral-driven finish. There's a Chablis-like restraint and nerviness to this Chardonnay that's really appealing."
— Vinous, Mar 2016
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Cave Block
Soil composition
Ferrosol soils – volcanic derived basalt, free draining clay loam with depths greater than 2 metres. High organic matter.
Elevation:
350-450 feet
Average Vine Age:
30
Certifying Organizations:
ISO14001; Entwine Australia
Sustainability Certification:
EPA Acredited Sustainability Licence
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
whole bunch pressed to new and older French oak barriques
Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Fermentation container:
Barriques
Malolactic fermentation:
Partial
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
10 months
Length of bottle aging:
12 months
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.1
Acidity:
6.7 g/L
Alcohol:
12.5 %
Residual sugar:
1.8 g/L
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Wine Production

The fruit was hand-picked and sorted to ensure optimum maturity. Slow whole bunch pressing, to minimise phenolics, and natural wild yeast fermentation was followed by gentle racking. The wine was matured in French oak barrels sourced from six different cooperages. Barrel rolling was employed to ensure light lees contact for texture while malolactic fermentation naturally adjusted acidity for balance and structure.

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About the Vineyard

Free draining soils and steep slopes results in our Chardonnay vineyard producing low yields of intensely concentrated fruit. Above average spring temperatures and moderate rainfall were responsible for good flower initiation and above average bunch sizes and overall yield. Highly involved viticultural practices are essential for the production of the Cave Block Chardonnay. These include hand canopy manipulations such as hand pruning, selective shoot and leaf removal, removal of slow ripening and second set bunches as well as any with disease infections. This is framed by our natural understanding of the vines environment and its sustainable management with some loss being appreciated in aid of this.