Wine Specs
Vintage
2020
Bad Earth Aromatic Dry White
Tasting Notes
Pale Straw. There’s a minerality here, but a certain seductiveness
to its perfume too, like freshly sprinkled bath salts with dried rose
petals, lavender, peppermint and candied musk. The palate is like
a martini - albeit a sultry one - wet rock, olive brine with citrusy
drive, maybe a touch of tart? It’s not all linear; there’s breadth with a
hazelnut like mealiness. It’s loooonnnnng.
Vintage
A challenging vintage to pair with a challenging year in general.
Spring 2019 was cool, windy and wet resulting in low crops due
to poor fruit set. Temperatures remained moderate, and rain
throughout the harvest period provided challenging conditions.
Overall, the cool and wet weather resulted in low sugars (and thus
alcohols) and crisp, refreshing acidity.
Vineyard
Single vineyard. The musk clone Chardonnay is officially listed as
Mendoza clone, but it has a distinct musk aroma that leads me to
believe it is a mutant clone of Chardonnay. This mutant, resides on
the south-facing Birdwood slope. The Gewurztraminer comes from
three separate blocks – 425, Number 1 and Hilltop. All four of these
blocks in the blend display the classic terroir of Nillumbik – Bad
Earth.
Vinification
The Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer, along with a melange of
smaller parcels, were picked and vinified separately. Both were
whole bunch pressed to old barrels for indigenous fermentation.
Sulphured post sugar fermentation, then left on lees for eight
months to build texture. The parcels were blended just before
bottling, unfined and unfiltered.
