Our oxidation experimentation began in 2019 when we forgot about a barrel of Friulano in our shed at the Whitlands vineyard. When we headed back up the hill to prune the vineyard a few months later we were surprised to find it sitting happily in the cold with a solid layer of flor. Without a pump or any other means of extracting this wine, as well as a few whiskeys under the belt, we simply banged in a bung and flipped the barrel.
We were so taken with the finished result we decided to persevere and have been forgetting about small experimental batches ever since.
Site: Turners Crossing, Bendigo, Victoria.
Production: 100% Picolit which spent a few days on skins before being pressed off to barrel. Wild fermented under the pine trees at our Whitlands vineyard, where it stayed for about 6 months on ullage. We then transported the wine back to the winery in Melbourne where it was racked and then put back into the same old french barrels on ullage and where flor yeast worked its magic for a further 2 years. The wine was then blended and bottled and then held in bottle for a further 6 months prior to release. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small addition of sulphur. Bottled in 500ml format.
Tasting Note: Passionfruit, pine and honeyed granny smith apple. The palate is reminiscent of preserved lemon, sharp, tangy and salty but with a great nutty depth and citrus concentration. A little bit of volatility on opening which dissipates with some air. Drink as an aperitif with a plate of oysters or with a large bowl of cacio pepe if a main is in order. Also works amazingly well in a dry martini, 30ml Tears in Rain, 60ml Barry Gin, stirred for 55 seconds and finished with a lemon twist. The drink aptly named Barrys in Tears.
