The 2003 Eden Valley vintage will long be remembered as ideal. Warm, dry conditions persisted early in the growing season, setting moderate crops. This weather pattern continued until February when some much-needed rain topped up the soils. Cooler dry weather returned until harvest, allowing the orderly hand picking of all the blocks of Heggies Vineyard Chardonnay 2003 at their peak flavour development. There are a number of different clones of Chardonnay at Heggies Vineyard with the French Bernard selections being favoured. The younger vines are trained on a vertically shoot positioned canopy and the older vines on a two-wire vertical framework; this gives a range of flavour opportunities. The vines are shy bearing, giving grapes of intense flavour. Hand picking and gentle pressing minimises the extraction of skin phenolic and preserves natural fruit aromas. The picking and pressing regime gives fine juice with light solids. The whole juice fraction was 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, this has increased palate texture and mouth-feel. The definitive assemblage was conducted mid-December 2003 with only those barrels deemed superior making the final cut.

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2002 | 2001

2003


Eden Valley


Peter Gambetta


March-April 2003


Fermented and matured for 11 months in new French oak barriques (35%), one-year-old French oak barriques and hogsheads (32%), balance in older French oak barriques and hogsheads.


14.5%


6.2 g/L


3.41