2016 Flametree SRS Wallcliffe Chardonnay
Out Of Stock
In much the same mould as the 2014 SRS Chardonnay the 2016 shows lovely purity and freshness of fruit together with some savoury notes from the solids and wild ferment. Classic grapefruit and dried pear fruits give way to barrel ferment and sulphide complexities. These sulphides contribute a lovely savoury oyster shell or saline character, giving the wine greater complexity and overall purity, and ultimately complementing many modern Australian food flavours.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2016
Varietal
100% Chardonnay
Appellation
Margaret River W.A.
Acid
7.8 g/L
pH
3.28
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
The 2016 season was in many ways very similar to the 2014 season; mild
growing conditions in December and January before things really started
warming up in February and March. This was almost perfect for
Chardonnay as most of the fruit was harvested in the first couple of weeks
of February before the late summer heat really kicked in. As part of the
Flametree Chardonnay style we like to pick early before the flavours get
overblown and the acid levels drop away. We don’t leaf pluck Chardonnay
as we don’t want the bunches to be in direct contact with the harsh
afternoon sun.
Production Notes
Fruit for the 2016 Flametree SRS Chardonnay was once again sourced from
a single Chardonnay block on Rosa Glen Road. This area is located in the
southern part of the Wallcliffe sub-region, situated south of the Margaret
River town site. The fruit from this vineyard came from old, low yielding gin
gin vines, originally grown from cuttings off the famous block 20
Chardonnay at Leeuwin Estate. The clay/loam soils in this vineyard hold
moisture very well and drip irrigation is only used during heat spells to stop
vine stress. All fruit for the 2016 SRS Chardonnay was hand picked and
refrigerated overnight.
Winemaker Notes
After overnight cold storage the Chardonnay fruit was whole bunch
pressed into French oak puncheons before undergoing full wild yeast
fermentation. To achieve a portion with high grape solids we rotated the
press after filling. The key to successful wild fermentation is the use of high
turbidity juices, minimal sulphur dioxide, low alcohols and juices with good
nutrient content. The 2016 SRS Chardonnay was barrel fermented in 40%
new French puncheons and then aged for 10 months. We stirred the lees a
few times but not as much as previous vintages
Other Notes
Max. 1 bottle per order