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RIPOSTE BY TIM KNAPPSTEIN The Katana Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

COMMUNE OF BUTTONS ABC Chardonnay, Basket Range, Adelaide Hills Commune of Buttons began with a single dream between brother and sister, to continue as second-generation growers of grapes. The ABC is an exciting Chardonnay from the Buttons family vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Whole bunches are pressed in stainless steel tanks and then allowed to go through a wild ferment in the barrel before bottling. This has the distinctive hallmarks of natural wine whilst maintaining a textural, bright and clean freshness.

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.

The 2018 Katana Chardonnay reveals a supple core of white stone fruit and citrus blossom overlaid with tempered edges of minerality. On the palate bright varietal fruit is guided to the finish with nuances of French oak and crisp acidity.

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.