Singlefile's Patrick Corbett gives us the Vintage Wrap Up

With the 2017 harvest under way, Singlefile’s Patrick Corbett has been living the life of a pirate – this fantastic article “The Pirate Life of Winemakers During Harvest” provides comic enlightenment on the pace of a winemaker’s life at vintage. And below is an update on the state of the fruit from the Great Southern harvest.

Chardonnay barrels are full and the fruit has finished its fermentation. We’re stirring weekly (bâtonnage) to create a full mouthfeel and notes of richness in the resulting wines.

Shiraz grapes are being pressed off their skins this week – they’re a super deep purple colour.

Cabernet grapes are still fermenting and will be left on their skins for a short post-fermentation maceration to bring more structure and complexity to the wines. This has been a very good Cabernet season. 

Pinot Noir is now packed down into barrels. We had to work hard in the vineyard to generate nice ripe parcels and the effort can be seen in the quality of the fruit.

Riesling looks fantastic with typical Mount Barker and Frankland characters shining through. We’re looking forward to getting the 2017 Rieslings into bottle in June.

The early ripening varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon look to be bang on where we like them to be – lovely green characters with some richness and lifted aromas from the Semillon. Crisp and Fresh.

The smell of brand-new French oak barrels being filled is intoxicating and the winery is full of great aromas and a real hive of activity. Overall we’re very excited with the quality of the 2017 vintage. Stay tuned for new white releases later in the year.