2018 Airlie Bank Gris Fermented On Skins

Airlie Bank

Australia / Yarra Valley / Airlie Bank

Picked from a block of gris on the Napoleone vineyard which is nurtured to hang a touch longer, with better tannin maturity than the fruit picked for the Punt Road Pinot Gris. Whole berry and whole bunch ferments are conducted in isolation in one-tonne open pots. They were pressed separately to oak this year, but in the end both went in their entirety into the blend, so the overall result is 50:50. The bunch ferments developed a very significant funk this year, and it was good to see this in the finished wine. The berry ferments supply musk flavour and fruit sweetness. It’s all about the bunch though: Campari, aniseed and kombucha. Unfined and minimally filtered.- Tim Shand, Punt Road

April, 2019

Mike Bennie

The Wine Front

93 points.

Spicy, herbal, faint mezcal notes, red cherry, raspberry scents. Nice start. Zingy in the palate, succulent and fine, juicy in a way, light on and refreshing. It’s got a lot of charisma but not particularly deep. Still, the gist is an interesting wine of high drinkability and a good dial in of gris’ other personalities.

July, 2019

Nick Stock

jamessuckling.com

92 points

A clever amber wine that has such attractive, sweet aromatics on offer with a supple, fleshy palate that carries very fresh melon and quince flavours. Drink now. Screw cap.

August, 2019

Campbell Mattinson

Halliday Wine Companion 2020

90 points

50% whole bunches, 50% whole berry, 10 days on skins, matured for 4 months in old hogsheads. The full salmon colour sounds the warning. Happily Punt Road hasn't put a silly price on the wine. It's very spicy, but struggles on the finish.

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About Airlie Bank

Airlie Bank dares to treat drinkers with respect by delivering wines that are delicious and true - as well as remarkably good value. Tim Shand and the team enjoy freedom to push boundaries. Their small-batch ethos has led to a great deal of creativity and ever-decreasing doses of sulphur. Nothing is off the cards when they sniff an opportunity to make a more compelling wine, as demonstrated by its 100% whole bunch Cab Franc and goon-bag fermented Sauvignon Blanc. Pure drinking pleasure is the one-point manifesto of Airlie Bank, and the thirsty take-up across the board shows that they're hitting the mark.

About

Tim came to the Yarra Valley with vintages under his belt at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy and Château Margaux in Bordeaux, as well as stints in Chianti, Oregon and Chile. Since then he had a hand in some of the region’s headline-grabbing wines of recent times during his tenure at Giant Steps before taking the helm at Punt Road in 2014. Tim and the team are making most of the freedom to push boundaries while making the most of the excellent fruit the Yarra Valley gives rise to.