2017 SINGLE VINEYARD 'VENUS BLOCK' CHARDONNAY
The Venus Block derives its name from the first name of the woman who ran a grazing property on the land for many years. Situated at our high altitude vineyard in Orange, the 'Venus Block' is 800m above sea level, ensuring a long cool ripening season, perfectly suited to Chardonnay.
The result is an intense Chardonnay with flavours of stone fruits, fig and melon seductively integrated with barrel ferment complexity. A crisp and elegant style of Chardonnay, showing great purity of fruit.
Head Winemaker, Gwyn Olsen
The 2017 vintage is an intense cool climate Chardonnay with flavours of stone fruits, fig and melon seductively integrated with barrel ferment complexity. A crisp and elegant style of Chardonnay, showing great purity of fruit.
Region
Orange, New South Wales
Vintage
Budburst was late after a cold and very wet winter. The high soil moisture levels provided a great start to the growing season. Warm dry weather in January and February was accompanied by late veraison in all varieties. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc were picked in perfect condition in the second week of March with no rain interference. Very good quality Shiraz was harvested late in March again with little rain and early assessments indicate some excellent wines. Cabernet was picked very late in April making 2017 the latest vintage for many years. Overall quality was very good.
Vineyard
The Orange region of New South Wales is one of Australia's newest premium regions being favoured for its high altitude cool climate. Situated approximately 270 km west of Sydney the topography and soils of the Orange region are dominated by the extinct volcano Mt Canobolas. The present day peak of the mountain is at 1400m and vineyards in the region are planted at elevations as high as 1100m with the lowest elevations in the region being 600m.
Soils in the central part of the region are derived from the basaltic lavas of the old volcano, and primarily consist of deep red to brown free draining clay loams.
Winemaking
The block was hand picked in the cool morning before being chilled and whole bunch pressed. The resulting juice was fermented in French oak puncheons with 35% new and 15% wild yeast. The wine was left in barrel for 10 months before blending and bottling.