Grown at the stunning Glenmore Springs Vineyard in the cool upper reaches of the renowned King Valley at an elevation of 34Om ASL, this site rarely gets over 32-33°c. Planted to well draining, gritty clay loam soil on a north easterly facing aspect with rows planted in a north-south orientation. A reliable katabatic wind draws the cool air from nearby mountains down through the vineyard on its way to the valley floor below most summer evenings.
Marco’s vineyard is simply immaculate, a true testament to his dedication to produce the highest quality fruit possible. Arched cane pruned, leaf plucking is undertaken on the east side to expose fruit to the gentle morning sun. In short this is fruit from an amazing grower with a beautiful cool climate vineyard site, no short cuts taken. For us these are the key ingredients to making good wine, everything done in the winery is subsidiary to this.
Ripeness is closely monitored through February and March, once flavours are deemed optimal the fruit is picked in the cool of the night with a gentle new generation selective harvester and delivered straight to the winery for immediate pressing.
Gently top loaded into the press on immediate arrival to the winery before a low extraction press cycle is undertaken. No SO2 is added to the bins in the vineyard or the press tray in the winery, instead all juice is treated oxidatively. The juice is cold settled then racked with the light fluffy lees taken and the heavy lees discarded.
The juice is then allowed to warm to above 15°c at which point wild fermentation generally commences after a couple of days. Once the ferment is established the temperature is dropped back to 13°c and held there to ensure cool steady ferment as to retain aromatics in the resultant wine.
Racked again post ferment with again a component of the light fluffy lees taken to help build, complexity, texture and mouth feel in the final wine. Continuous gentle lees stirring is undertaken while in tank for 2-3 months. Bottled midyear while still vibrant and fresh.
The cool climate of the pristine mountain valley where the grapes for this wine are grown is on full display in this wine. There is a defined texture, a concentration of flavor and aromatic balanced by the purity of the natural acidity. This is the result of phenological ripeness occurring in sync with sugar ripeness whilst the grapes vibrant natural acidity is still present. This can only occur when the right variety is grown at the right location. It presents itself as a complex minerality in this wine, one seldom seen in examples of this variety from warmer climates.
REGION/GI: KING VALLEY
GROWER: MARCO MARTINELLI
VINES PLANTED: 1999
ELEVATION: 34Om ASL
ROW ORIENTATION: NORTH SOUTH
SOIL TYPE: WELL DRAINING GRITTY CLAY LOAM
Grown at the stunning Glenmore Springs Vineyard in the cool upper reaches of the renowned King Valley at an elevation of 34Om ASL, this site rarely gets over 32-33°c. Planted to well draining, gritty clay loam soil on a north easterly facing aspect with rows planted in a north-south orientation. A reliable katabatic wind draws the cool air from nearby mountains down through the vineyard on its way to the valley floor below most summer evenings.
Marco’s vineyard is simply immaculate, a true testament to his dedication to produce the highest quality fruit possible. Arched cane pruned, leaf plucking is undertaken on the east side to expose fruit to the gentle morning sun. In short this is fruit from an amazing grower with a beautiful cool climate vineyard site, no short cuts taken. For us these are the key ingredients to making good wine, everything done in the winery is subsidiary to this.
Ripeness is closely monitored through February and March, once flavours are deemed optimal the fruit is picked in the cool of the night with a gentle new generation selective harvester and delivered straight to the winery for immediate pressing.
Gently top loaded into the press on immediate arrival to the winery before a low extraction press cycle is undertaken. No SO2 is added to the bins in the vineyard or the press tray in the winery, instead all juice is treated oxidatively. The juice is cold settled then racked with the light fluffy lees taken and the heavy lees discarded.
The juice is then allowed to warm to above 15°c at which point wild fermentation generally commences after a couple of days. Once the ferment is established the temperature is dropped back to 13°c and held there to ensure cool steady ferment as to retain aromatics in the resultant wine.
Racked again post ferment with again a component of the light fluffy lees taken to help build, complexity, texture and mouth feel in the final wine. Continuous gentle lees stirring is undertaken while in tank for 2-3 months. Bottled midyear while still vibrant and fresh.
The cool climate of the pristine mountain valley where the grapes for this wine are grown is on full display in this wine. There is a defined texture, a concentration of flavor and aromatic balanced by the purity of the natural acidity. This is the result of phenological ripeness occurring in sync with sugar ripeness whilst the grapes vibrant natural acidity is still present. This can only occur when the right variety is grown at the right location. It presents itself as a complex minerality in this wine, one seldom seen in examples of this variety from warmer climates.
REGION/GI: KING VALLEY
GROWER: MARCO MARTINELLI
VINES PLANTED: 1999
ELEVATION: 34Om ASL
ROW ORIENTATION: NORTH SOUTH
SOIL TYPE: WELL DRAINING GRITTY CLAY LOAM
