2019 Shadowfax Macedon Ranges Pinot Gris

Shadowfax

Australia / Werribee / Shadowfax

Fifth release from Shadowfax's pride and joy, Little Hampton Vineyard. At 700m above sea level, it's one of coolest vineyards in Macedon. Hand harvested fruit was firmly whole bunch pressed followed by natural ferment in older French barrels. Lifted musk and floral notes accompany ripe apricot and pear. It has a rich, textural mouthfeel and glides silk-like across the palate. Even at this ripeness, there's no sense of heaviness. Nuttiness and intense orchard fruits aplenty, with a nice ginger zing at the end. - Ed Merrison, CellarHand

James Halliday

Halliday Wine Companion 2021

95 points

Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, wild-fermented in used French oak, matured for 9 months on lees. A very complex gris, both bouquet and palate unfolding citrus and almonds, multi-spices, moving into a world of honeysuckle, poached pear and fig in the mouth.

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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. The name is both a reflection of the grapes’ underdog status and a clever play on “Minervois”, a southern French appellation where these kinds of blends are common. It's 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.”