MATURATION

Oak maturation, malolactic fermentation and stirring on lees.

WINEMAKERS NOTES

The Silex vineyard is located at Kongorong, some 80 kilometres South of Coonawarra in the Mount Gambier geographical region. The district has been famous for quite some time for its cheddar cheese. It also has a small and very specialized grapegrowing community. Its proximity to the Southern Ocean and the cold afternoon/evening sea breezes that blow most days during the growing season make it one of the coolest places in Australia to grow grapes. This coolness results in a slow extended ripening period delivering high natural acidity and delicate fruit characters.

Silex is a term used in Europe to describe flint or chert rock. The weathered limestone at this site has an extremely hard flint-like cap and only a shallow layer of red clay/loam soil for the vine roots to exploit. This and the weather make viticulture a real challenge.

The use of oak and malolactic bacteria have given the wine complexity and richness. Oak adds extra aromas/flavours and malo also adds texture to the palate.

Time in the bottle will see the current tight structure loosen and become even more flavoursome. Toasty bottle age will add complexity if you can resist the temptation for 3 to 5 years in the cellar.