Good rains at the beginning of the 2004/05 growing season augured well for vintage. By mid January the skies had cleared; no subsequent rain combined with balmy temperatures for the remainder of the season meant that flavours ripened over an even and long period. The result is white wines from the 2005 Eden Valley vintage with excellent intensity of flavour and structure. There are a number of different clones of Chardonnay at Heggies Vineyard with the French Bernard selections being favoured. The younger plantings are trained to a vertically shoot-positioned canopy and the older vines on a two wire vertical framework; this gives a range of flavour opportunities. These vines are shy bearing, producing grapes of intense flavour. Hand picking and gentle pressing minimises the extraction of skin phenolic and preserves natural fruit aromas. This picking and pressing regime results in fine juice with light solids, which is then fermented in new and previously used French oak barrels using native yeast strains. The wine remained in contact with its yeast lees and was stirred on a three week cycle which has increased palate texture and mouthfeel.

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2005


Eden Valley


Peter Gambetta


18-30 March 2005


Fermented & matured for 10 months in new French oak barriques & hogsheads (35%), one year old French oak barriques & hogsheads (43%), balance in older French oak barriques & hogsheads.


14%


6.1 g/L


3.34