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This was initially inspired by one of Pat Underwood’s favourite bistro whites, Soave from Veneto, and became a richly engaging winemaking project. The blend in 2024 is 56% Riesling, 42% Pinot Gris and a 2% dash of Chardonnay. The fruit grows on a trio of neighbouring blocks at Dash Farms in Leanganook/Faraday. The Riesling sits just above the Chardonnay, with the Gris immediately to the left as you look up the slope. All share the granite soils and westerly exposition, with the Riesling and Chardonnay skewing a touch more northward.
The varieties were harvested and processed separately. Each grape brings its own distinct qualities, and Pat likes to play to their strengths to end up with blending components that balance one another. The Riesling was harvested on flavour, and the juice was handled with care, protected from oxygen and clarified with a five-day cold settle. The clean juice fermented in stainless steel at relatively cool temperatures to retain as much aromatic purity as possible. It was racked off heavy lees once malolactic fermentation was complete and it was sugar dry for further maturation in stainless steel and barrique.
The Pinot Gris was harvested when the numbers and flavours were at a point of balance, a little earlier than the team would typically pick for a maceration. This juice received some aggressive oxidation after relatively firm pressing. It was settled for a few days to lighten the solids load. The settled juice was then moved to a 1000-litre ceramic jar containing 75kg of hand-crushed Chardonnay bunches. They completed fermentation together, with the idea being to build complexity of flavour, tannin and a satisfying midpalate. The Gris and Chardonnay were racked directly from solids to tank after winter and combined with a single barrique of Riesling and the Riesling from tank. The wine settled for a further month in tank before bottling, with some sulphur added.
2024 is proving to be a lovely, balanced year for cooler sites in central Victoria. Thanks to the season and the highly individual treatment of each parcel, this wine has wonderful perfume, persistent tannin, and zingy acidity.