2017 Shadowfax Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc

Shadowfax

Australia / Werribee / Shadowfax

Harvest Date
10 March 2017

Vineyards
Lenswood, Adelaide Hills

Viticulture
A long cool growing season across southern Australia. A settled flowering led to good crop levels. Careful canopy management and some crop thinning allowed for full flavour ripeness. We harvested early to retain freshness and natural acidity.

Wine Making
Fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch and gently pressed. Natural fermentation took place in French Hogs heads (50%), and the other half in tank to retain vibrancy. The wine was left on yeast lees to add complexity for 6 months, prior to bottling in September 2017. Technical details: pH 3.24; Titratable Acidity 7g/L; alcohol 12.7%

Colour
Pale straw with a vibrant green hue.

Bouquet
Blackcurrant leaf, nettles and cracked pea.

Palate
Intense front palate with some tropical and blackcurrant leaf notes. Great mid palate texture leads onto a vibrant sherbet acidity and a long mineral finish.

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About Shadowfax

Shadowfax has taken tremendous strides in recent times, with the team refining the range and proving their prowess with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their single-vineyard Chardonnays have taken out Best Chardonnay at the Macedon Ranges Wine Exhibition no fewer than five times. Especially noteworthy have been the Little Hampton Vineyard in Macedon's high-altitude plantings of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, in the chilliest region of Australia’s mainland. These are the vibrant future of Australia’s cool-climate wine scene. The counterpoint to this is the dynamic Minnow project, based around the Werribee vineyard’s southern French varieties. This is the source of bright, spicy, textured rosé and reds, with the micro-make Mondeuse immediately becoming a delicious cult hit. With long-serving vineyard manager and assistant winemaker Alister Timms taking the helm in October 2017, these are hugely exciting times for Shadowfax.

About

Shortly after completing this second degree, Alister started working at Shadowfax as Assistant Winemaker, a position he held for three years before moving back home to run his family’s winery, Kilgour Estate. In 2008, Alister returned to Shadowfax to manage the winery’s various vineyards and establish the Little Hampton property in the Macedon Ranges, whilst working as Assistant Winemaker to Matt Harrop. When Matt decided to leave Shadowfax in October 2017, after almost 20 years as winemaker, Alister was the obvious choice as his replacement. “I look forward to building on the foundation that we’ve created over the years and seeing our vineyards reach their full potential, and to follow that through in the winery.”