Gilbert Sauvignon Blanc 2024

"This is a wine that has come of age, a grown-up, sophisticated version of cool-climate sauvignon blanc. Aromas of white peach, Rainier cherries and pomelo. There is a tropical essence that shows in hibiscus blooms and pineapple core. The palate widens with salinity and a fleshy, almost oily texture. Acidity drives the wine, but the high-pitched notes are dissolved through worked lees stirring. There are young almond and wet stone minerals that take the enjoyment of this wine to new levels. A stunning white wine, with so much textural presence and detail." 95 points, Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion

Sourced from the foothills of Mt Canobolas, these vineyards have fertile soil, rich in volcanic ash. It is deep, well drained clay loam and red and brown ferrosol soils derived from basalt, with silty textures being found at hill top sites.
One of NSW’s cooler regions, Orange has a mean January temperature of 19.5°C with a 15°C variance between summer and winter months. Average rainfall is approximately 875mm per annum. With Orange being the highest wine growing region in Australia, grapes grown here not only enjoy all the benefits of its cooler temperatures and unique topography, but also benefit from over 9 hours per day of direct sunshine during the growing season.
The combination of both the cooler climate and plentiful sunshine is vital to the fruit's ability to develop intense aroma and maintain flavour, giving these grapes a long mouth feel and flavour profile.

These grapes were harvested in small lots, in the early hours of the morning. The fruit was destemmed, then drained and pressed with each incremental increase in pressure, with one parcel spending 6 hours on skins prior to pressing. The juice was then cold settled for 48 hours and racked, taking most of the solids from pressing and leaving just the heavy solids behind, then warmed. Fermentation and maturation took place in oak, concrete and amphora with regular bâtonnage for a period of 9 months, allowing an increase in texture, roundness and complexity. Temperature was allowed to peak at 28°C before naturally cooling down to a more normal temperature range. This causes a shift in aromatics towards a more complex, secondary and savoury spectrum.
Minimal malolactic fermentation took place, after which all parcels were blended in November 2024 and kept on light lees in stainless prior to being prepared for bottling. Winery Note