Albarino, Stanley Estates

Vintage conditions

The 2017 season will be remembered for being a challenging harvest, due to significant summer rainfall. Fruit cropping levels were about 25% below ‘normal’ fruiting levels, at 5.9t/ha. The weather at harvest was fine for this early variety, the fruit was picked in two parcels as the blocks reached their optimum maturity. A quarter of the grapes were hand harvested by a keen group of pickers, the balance was machine picked at night.

Vinification details

The hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed on a gentle cycle. The juice was then settled, chilled and racked to old French barriques of a variety of ages, and then fermented using the wild yeast strains on the fruit. The balance was gently pressed and then transferred to stainless steel tanks, where it went through a controlled fermentation using French yeasts. The wine spent a good time on lees to add a real depth of flavour and palate weight to the wine. The wine was cross flow filtered and prepared for boiling under screwcap to maintain freshness and quality. Seasoned for 10 months in old French barriques.

Green credentials

Member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vintage conditions

The 2016 Marlborough season will be remembered for being a very warm, dry season, with an ‘average’ start date to harvest, in the first week of April, with fruit cropping levels about normal. The weather at harvest was fine at the tail of a very hot, dry growing season. Great flavours developed steadily during the ripening period, as the fruit reached its’ optimum maturity. 40% of the grapes were hand harvested by a keen group of pickers and three days later the balance was machine harvested at night when the fruit temperatures are lower to capture and maintain the fruit freshness.

Vinification details

The hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed on a gentle cycle. The juice was then settled, chilled and racked to old French barriques of a variety of ages, and then fermented using the wild yeast strains on the fruit. The balance was gently pressed and then transferred to stainless steel tanks, where it went through a controlled fermentation using French yeasts. The wine spent a good time on lees to add a real depth of flavour and palate weight to the wine. The wine was cross flow filtered and prepared for boiling under screwcap to maintain freshness and quality. Seasoned for 10 months in old French barriques.

Green credentials

Member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Vintage conditions

The 2015 season will be remembered for being a very early harvest, as a result of a fabulous hot summer. Fruit cropping levels were about 25% below ‘normal’ fruiting levels. The weather at harvest was fine at the tail of a very dry growing season. Great flavours developed steadily during the ripening period, with the fruit picked in parcels as the blocks reached their optimum maturity.

Vinification details

The hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed on a gentle cycle. The juice was then settled, chilled and racked to old French barriques of a variety of ages, and then fermented using the wild yeast strains on the fruit. The balance (60%) was gently pressed and then transferred to stainless steel tanks, where it went through a controlled fermentation using French yeasts. The wine spent a good time on lees to add a real depth of flavour and palate weight to the wine.

Awards

IWC 2016: Silver

Green credentials

Member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.