Tapanappa...

Whalebone Vineyard Chardonnay 2005

Bin No

MENT/221

Size

1 x 75cl

Price

Sold Out

2005 was a cool vintage in the Piccadilly Valley accumulating just 1113ºC days of heat during the growing season versus the long-term average of 1172ºC days.

In fact April was the only month after flowering that was warmer than average and the fruit had been harvested by the time the April burst of heat arrived at the end of the first week. A modest crop of 6 tonnes/hectare was hand harvested in the first week of April in cool air, sunny and dry conditions. The analysis of the fruit at delivery was sugar at 23.9 Brix, pH 3.19. and acid of 8.0gpl as tartaric.

Tapanappa 2005 Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay captures the personality of this special 26 year old vineyard. In every way a distinguished site, the Tiers Vineyard has consistently produced the most complex and complete Chardonnay of the Piccadilly Valley.

The colour is pale lemon. The aroma is very complex but ripe white peach can be discerned in amongst the roasted malt, crème brulee and cinnamon of the oak, yeast and malo lactic influences. The flavour is of sweet ripe fruit supported by a soft and full texture. Despite having a significant mouth feel and flavour the finish of the wine is savoury and long.

Whalebone Vineyard Cabernet Shiraz 2004

Bin No

MENT/220

Size

1 x 75cl

Price

£29.50

First and foremost the 2004 Tapanappa Cabernet Shiraz is the taste of the Whalebone Vineyard. The terroir delivers complexity involving the aroma and taste of dusty earth and Eucalypt smoke.

A glass of Tapanappa Cabernet Shiraz is translucent and a vibrant cerise colour. The aroma is built in layers with a core of Cabernet Sauvignon mulberry and clove surrounded by the blackberry and liquorice of Shiraz.

A central sweet fruit flavour follows on with dry dusty tannins turning creamy as the persistence of the fruit, earth and smoke creates length.

2004 Tapanappa Cabernet Shiraz is from a cool dry sunny year and is much longer than it is wide. Spring lamb lightly roasted with thyme and rosemary is the natural dish to amplify the flavours and structure of the wine.

Foggy Hill Pinot Noir 2007

Bin No

MENT/225

Size

1 x 75cl

Price

£21.15

History: In February 2003, the Croser family purchased Maylands Farm at Parawa on the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula, just 8 kilometres from the Great Southern Ocean to the South.

 Maylands farm was purchased with the specific intention of growing the finest “sea air, grass fed” prime lambs. A review of the climate statistics, as well as the slope geology and soil features, quickly convinced Brian Croser that Maylands Farm provides a unique opportunity to grow the fastidious Pinot Noir variety.

Foggy Hill is situated at the top of the Fleurieu Peninsula, at 350 metres above sea level, and is named for the summer and autumn fogs that frequently roll up to the spine of the Fleurieu Peninsula from the Great Southern Ocean. It is composed of 67 million year old ironstone, which has generated free draining soils of adequate fertility to support moderate vineyard capacity and low vigour vines. The climate here is the coolest in South Australia, at 1135ºC days average heat summation for the growing season, being cooler than Burgundy. The maritime climate of Foggy Hill has very cool days and relatively warm nights, which allows the vines to produce intense and fragrant aromas and flavours at moderate alcohol levels.

The North-facing slope of Foggy Hill was chosen for the first planting of vines in this special part of the Fleurieu Peninsula. By Christmas of 2003, 2 hectares of Foggy Hill were planted to 3 different Bernard clones of Pinot Noir on devigorating rootstocks. The vineyard was planted with the intention of growing the grapes for the Tapanappa partnership.

The vines are intensively planted on very narrow rows, 1.5mx1.5m, or 4,444 vines/hectare, to allow 10cm between each shoot for maximum ventilation warmth and light. The fruiting cane is only 500mm above the ground to take ripening advantage of ground warmth at night. A further 2 hectares of Pinot Noir were planted on Foggy Hill in 2006.

Dr. John Gladstones, in his wonderful book “Viticulture and Environment”, says of the area around Foggy Hill: “At least in climatic terms the lower Fleurieu Peninsula has arguably the best conditions of all in mainland South Australia for table wine production.”

In the 2007 vintage, Tapanappa harvested the first grapes grown in the lower Fleurieu Peninsula, Foggy Hill Pinot Noir.

Vintage Notes: 2007 was warmer than average vintage at Foggy Hill, accumulating 1249ºC days of heat during the growing season versus the average of 1135ºC days. The January to March ripening period was very dry apart from a rain event in late January.

Perfect small bunches of Pinot Noir were hand harvested on the 14th of April and transported to the Petaluma winery in the Piccadilly Valley, about one hour north of Foggy Hill.

The three clones were destemmed, crushed and chilled in separate batches to open one tonne fermenting tubs. The harvest analyses of the three clones were quite similar and averaged 22.5 Brix (%sugar), pH 3.65 and total acid 6.9gpl.

Winemaking Notes: 8% of each clone was chilled as whole bunches and added to the bottom of its clone’s fermenter. The balance of the fruit from that particular clone was chilled to 3ºC after being destemmed and crushed, 50ppm of SO2 was added and the must was placed on top of the whole fruit bunches in the appropriate fermenter. The fermentation tubs were sealed down for 4 days for a cold maceration before being seeded with a yeast strain selected from our own vineyards. Their own strain of malo-lactic bacteria was added at the same time. The tubs were hand plunged morning and night for 10 days.

The fermentation on skins lasted 10 days and at its peak of activity reached 35ºC during a twoday period. When all of the whole fruit had been broken, and the sugar exhausted, the tubs weresealed down for a further 7 days on skins.

The contents of the tubs were transferred to a small air bag press and drained and lightly pressed to barriques without any settling. A mixture of 30% new and 70% one or two year use French oak barriques was used.
The wine was allowed to sit on lees until the malo-lactic fermentation was complete in September of 2007, after which it was racked and SO2 was added before the wine was returned to barrique.

Finally, after 8 months in barrique, the wine was clear racked in late December 2007, given a light egg white fining and was bottled without filtration in February 2008.

The Taste Of The Wine: Tapanappa Foggy Hill 2007 Pinot Noir is medium to light in colour and cerise in hue. The aromas are delicate and exotically fragrant of Campari, cherries and five-spice with a richer mulberry component.

The flavours are delicate sweet and spicy and are balanced against the tannin and acid without the interference of alcohol – it is as though the wine is built around its water component. The tannins are significant, but soft and savoury, and the whole wine is melded into a complex fabric of aromas, flavours, tastes and texture, which is seamless.

This the first exciting taste of the new Pinot Noir terroir at Maylands Farm, Parawa, at the apex of the Fleurieu Peninsula.