NGERINGA Sangiovese 2009

Grown on a steep westerly facing slope at 360m above sea level on a rocky red ironstone and schist over clay.  Quite a challenging vineyard site - facing west, it receives the belting summer sun and often is exposed to characteristic winds of the Adelaide Hills. In the distance however, this vineyard backs towards Lake Alexandrina and the Murray mouth, consequently receiving cooling evening breezes which do much to preserve fruit acids and flavours through the critical weeks of ripening.  Only 750 vines planted.

TASTING NOTES
A handsome nose of plush blood plums, Provencal herbs and an element of distant smoke.  Delicious, supple palate of juicy cherries, young cured meat and cocoa bean.  Finely coating, varietal tannins with cedary oak.

WINEMAKING NOTES
Harvested on 3rd of April 2009, de-stemmed 100% and fermented for 2 weeks and steeping on skins for a further week. Pressed into a 3 year old puncheon where it remained for 12 months before being bottled

Wild fermentation, no enzymes, oxidative handling prefermentation, reserved use of oak barrels, spontaneous malolactic fermentation, gentle extraction, warmer fermentation, minimal & rare temperature control.  Minimal fining.  Estate bottled.

VINTAGE NOTES
The 2009 growing season started dry with little spring rain.  Early summer rain tried to make amends however that was easily forgotten as the summer months continued with only a few millimetres of natural rainfall.  For Ngeringa luckily we can supplement our requirements with good quality bore water.  Statistically, with small vines and a philosophy of low cropping levels, our water consumption is well below the average.  Unlike 2008 where the spike of intense heat came right at the beginning of harvest, this year it came mid February when the vines were just preparing themselves for their final ripening phase.  Despite heat leading up to harvest the vines kept their health and fruit was harvested in beautiful condition with high natural acidity.  

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