Pale golden in colour, this wine is fully developed and intended for enjoyment now. The aroma is flinty, with a good dose of Twenty Mile Bench minerality. In its old-age, the oak-derived subtleties such as butterscotch and toast are now the dominant characteristics, accentuated by a hint of roasted almond. The palate is viscous and well rounded, with a subtle yet refreshing acidity. Apple, pineapple, citrus and marzipan complement the already mentioned characters, and the finish is clean and dry.
Winemaker Notes
The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2006 is a blend of our four blocks of Chardonnay – clones 95 and 76 on rootstocks SO4 and 3309. The individual blocks are vinified separately. Grapes were handpicked in 15kg crates in September, after which it was hand sorted on a shaking sorting table to remove any unwanted material like insects and leaves. It was then whole bunch pressed, the juice handled oxidatively and cold settled in stainless steel tanks. 100% were fermented in barrel with a variety of yeast strains. The wine was left on the gross lees to develop and the lees were stirred weekly for ten months for the mouth feel to develop. We used 50% new French Oak barrels, 5% second fill French and the rest older to achieve good expression of our fruit and balance with oak. Wild, as well as commercial yeast strains were used for the primary fermentation and malolactic fermentation was completed to soften the natural acidity of this Chardonnay. At the end of maturation all the barrels were tasted and the ones expressing the best structure and fruit character selected for the Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2006.
The wine was taken out of barrel after 10 months after which it was blended, racked, stabilized, filtered and bottled in August 2007.
Pairings
Chicken breast stuffed with spinach with Puy lentils in herb oil
Wine Profile
| Vintage |
2006 |
| Varietal |
Chardonnay |
| Appellation |
Twenty Mile Bench |
| Sugar |
2.1g/L |
| Acid |
6.25g/L |
| PH |
3.39 |
| Alcohol % |
12.50 |
| Size |
750 ml |
