Winemaker Notes
The nose is beautifully clean for a bottle fermented wine, bright citrus mixed with bready, almost croissant-like aromas. With more age in the vines we are seeing more depth and intensity on the palate than ever before – the tropical fruits are still there, but there is a saline, herbaceous, moreishness that invites both quick drinking and deep thought. The persistent fizz keeps everything in fun territory though, a wine perfect for brunch, lunch picnics or sunset on the porch.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Quite the powerhouse region thanks to its proximity to the Murray River (and thus irrigation potential), Riverland produces over half of South Australia’s total annual harvest. While its warm Mediterranean climate promotes large volume production, many smaller, premium producers abound. Australia’s usual suspects—Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet—do great but a continuing local push for heat-loving Italian varieties like Vermentino and Nero d’Avola promises future diversity.