Solstice

 

Solstice is inspired by the Vino novello wines of Italy. Traditionally vino novello, translated as ‘young wine‘, is a light, fruity, red wine. Novello is similar to its French cousin Beaujolais nouveau in taste, body and color, but is produced using several grape varieties with a more liberal fermentation process.

This year we kicked off the ferment with some whole berries of Riesling (17.5%) and Chardonnay (10%), quickly followed by Pinot noir (27.5%) and a little dornfelder (10%). After 10 days of fermentation whole bunches of Dornfelder (35%) was tipped on top and the ferment was wrapped up for a further 10 days. It was pressed to tank and racked twice prior to bottling. We’ve added no sulphur to this wine and we expect you to crack it open and drink it straight away.

All the fruit is grown in the cool climes of the North West at White Rock Vineyard. The high natural acidity and lower sugar levels make for great fruit for this style. The finished wine reflects the cooler nature of the 2020 vintage. Don’t be surprised if the wine is slightly spritzy, it’s bottled young and has more dissolved carbon dioxide than you’d normally see in a red, swirl your glass for a while and it will disappear.

The vibrant colour of ruby red is matched by bright crunchy red fruits with hints of spice. The tannin is soft and supple balancing the bright acids. It’s a style that suits a little chill, particularly in the warmer parts of Australia.