A Great Southern Summer

This is an elegant, dry, Provence styled rosé produced from the Mediterranean varietal sangiovese. We have found the Mediterranean varietals to be well suited to this style of rosé in the Great Southern, where balancing fruit flavours, savouriness, natural acidity and colour are all important factors to producing premium rosé.

The grapes were picked on 31 March 2026. The parcel of fruit was gently destemmed and crushed directly into the press with approximately two hours of skin contact occurring prior to a gentle pressing.

The free run juice was handled oxidatively and remained on full solids for two days before rough racking and the introduction of an indigenous yeast to initiate fermentation, with 15% of the wine fermented in 3-year-old oak barrels. Following a slow and cool fermentation, the wine was rested on its lees for four months prior to blending and preparation for bottling.

The 2026 growing season delivered ripening conditions ideal for Great Southern riesling, with even temperatures and little rain. This fruit was grown in our Mount Barker and Porongurup vineyards, known for pristine and expressive riesling styles.

Picked on 15 and 24 March 2026, the parcels of fruit were brought into the winery, the free run and pressing juice separated and both undergoing a long and slow cold fermentation in stainless steel before blending. This ensured the pristine floral and citrus fruit characters would be preserved. The wine was bottled on 30 June 2026.

The 2025 vintage in the Great Southern was characterised by dry weather and very consistent growing conditions, ideal for aromatic varietals such as semillon and sauvignon blanc. The fruit was picked at the optimal time to produce a fresh and aromatic wine that showcases the best varietal characteristics in this classically Western Australian blend. 

The sauvignon blanc was picked early on 26 February 2025 and the semillon was picked before dawn on 5 March 2025. Both varieties were gently de-stemmed and crushed. A light pressing followed, with the free run juice separated and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The parcels of semillon and sauvignon blanc were kept separate throughout. The fermentation was carried out at 15°C for 13 days. On 20 March, the wines were racked off their lees and blending trials were carried out to produce what we considered to be the best possible semillon and sauvignon blanc blend. 

With the goal of producing a dry, fresh styled wine with good structure and a nice length of flavour, the final blend was approximately 60% semillon and 40% sauvignon blanc.

Chardonnay is very well suited to the cool climate environment of the Great Southern wine region. The chardonnay vineyards in this part of Western Australia tend to ripen very slowly, due to the cooler climate, and develop complex flavours while also retaining an elegant natural acidity. The combination of all these elements provide for a lovely balance between richness and vibrancy.

The 2025 season offered consistent temperatures and very little rain, resulting in the chardonnay fruit displaying strong varietal character and great concentration of flavours.

The fruit was harvested in three separate parcels on 26 February, 5 March and 11 March. In each instance, the parcel of fruit was chilled overnight and then fermented in Burgundian oak barriques (approximately 25% new and 75% aged). The chardonnay barrels were lees stirred weekly for the first four months and then left to settle in barrel for a further two months before being prepared for bottling in October 2025.

Chardonnay is very well suited to the cool climate environment of the Great Southern wine region. The chardonnay vineyards in this part of Western Australia tend to ripen very slowly, due to the cooler climate, and develop complex flavours while also retaining an elegant natural acidity. The combination of all these elements provide for a lovely balance between richness and vibrancy.

The 2025 season offered consistent temperatures and very little rain, resulting in the chardonnay fruit displaying strong varietal character and great concentration of flavours.

The fruit was harvested in three separate parcels on 26 February, 5 March and 11 March. In each instance, the parcel of fruit was chilled overnight and then fermented in Burgundian oak barriques (approximately 25% new and 75% aged). The chardonnay barrels were lees stirred weekly for the first four months and then left to settle in barrel for a further two months before being prepared for bottling in October 2025.