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These traditional sparkling varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are sourced from the cool climate Adelaide Hills, and are picked early to retain high natural acidity. Small batches of these low yielding grapes are gently pressed in stainless stell basket presses. Following primary and partial malolactic fermentation the inidividual parcels are bottled and inoculated with yeast and sugar to encourage secondary fermentation. The cuvee is fermented in the bottle to develop complexity for approximately four years. This is a dry style sparkling with minerality, a crisp acid backbone and layers of flowers, fruits and toasty savoury nuances.

The fruit for this wine was grown at the Hill Smith Vineyard at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. The vines at this east-facing vineyard grow in alluvial loam, limestone, shale and quartz, at an altitude of around 400m. Thanks to near-perfect weather, 2021 promises to be one of the best Adelaide Hills vintages in recent memory.

Handpicked and sorted. Gently wholebunch pressed. Wild ferment on full solids. 25% in old French barriques Lees stirred fortnightly. Natural sediment may occur.

Hand-picked on the 4th March, pressed to French oak puncheons for natural fermentation, 30% malolactic, 11 months on yeast lees, filtered and bottled.1270 bottles produced.

Very pale with pristine clarity and flashes of green. Nose of passionfruit, gooseberry and freshly squeezed citrus dominate, followed by more subtle grassy, leafy notes and a touch of kafir lime. Wonderfully fresh and showing precise varietal fruits: tangy passionfruit, grapefruit and lemongrass. Long and punchy with great purity, line and a mouth-watering, lime-juice acidity. VineyardsSourced from Jeff Gowers Lenswood Vineyards, the sauvignon blanc plantings on gravelly clay loam over red clay subsoil date back to 1999. Vinification Handpicked grapes were destemmed, crushed and cooled to five degrees Celsius while being transferred to the airbag press. The juice was then pressed into stainless steel tank, keeping the free run and pressings separate. Juice was cold settled for a week at around two degrees and then racked from gross juice lees. The free-run juice parcel was warmed and inoculated with yeast to begin fermentation. Fermentation temperature was kept low to maintain delicate aromatics. Once fermentation was dry the wine was then chilled and stabilised prior to filtration and bottling Wirra Wirra was originally established in 1894 and though abandoned after several decades of production was revived by the late Greg Trott in 1969. The winery produces exceptional value, fruit driven wine styles that dont shy away from ripeness, intensity and oak usage. Wirra Wirra is located approximately four kilometres outside of the township of McLaren Vale in the McLaren Vale wine growing region of South Australia. Wirra Wirra source fruit from estate and selected grower vineyards. Wirra Wirra is the core range but the wines are delineated by tiers including Flagship wines, RGT collection, Church Block, Mrs Wrigley range and the entry level Scrubby Rise wines. The production of these wines is overseen by Chief Winemaker Paul Smith, with able assistance from Tom Ravech and Kelly Wellington. The winery employs modern technology and new world technique to produce expressive wines of intensity, bold flavour and McLaren Vale profile.

Dandelion Vineyards are proven plantings that have stood the test of time. The wish is to nurture the unique character of these vineyards and express their terroir in the wines. “When I see a weed I see the Devil” is an old grower’s mantra, but Dandelion Vineyards encourage the humble Dandelion amongst the vines as they suppress winter weeds, provide mulch in summer, and their Wishing Clocks to blow off in Spring.

RIPOSTE BY TIM KNAPPSTEIN The Katana Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills