The 2019 growing conditions in the Denmark sub-region of the Great Southern delivered a reasonably dry winter and spring. Summer had slightly cooler temperatures. The growing season allowed for flavours to develop while natural acidity was retained. These conditions, combined with the ongoing soil management program, developed to improve natural microbial activity, made for a high-quality vintage. ‘The Vivienne’ Chardonnay aims to capture the essence of our Denmark chardonnay vineyard from multiple perspectives, comprising three separate passes of hand picking from different panels of the vineyard on 6th March (Be 11.5, PH 3.13), 18th March (Be 11.9, PH 3.14) and 29th March (Be 12.3, PH 3.22).

Each parcel of fruit was chilled overnight, before whole bunch pressing direct to new and seasoned French barriques, for fermentation on full solids by natural yeasts. The wine was allowed to mature on lees without sulphur for approximately five months with some spontaneous malolactic fermentation taking place. The wine was matured for a total of ten months in oak before being racked to a stainless tank and prepared for bottling. It was bottled on 27th February 2020 and then bottle aged for a further eighteen months.

Only 126 cases of ‘The Vivienne’ were produced in 2019.

Fine aromatics, reminiscent of floral, citrus and flint, build in intensity as the wine breathes in the glass, to show layers of funky wild ferment and lees-derived complexity. The palate has great depth of flavour, with clarity and poise, all the elements following a long line of mineral acidity.