Description
**96 POINTS** Halliday Wine Companion
‘Whole-bunch pressed, wild fermentation, 12 months on lees in stainless steel. Where has inzolia (aka ansonica) been all this time? The answer is Sicily and Tuscany, but what a joy it is to see it in Australia, bringing such an extraordinary depth of flavour and savoury intrigue to the glass. This has citrus blossom, ripe stone fruits, citrus, pear and an almond nuttiness that segues into savoury territory alongside saline notes. It is creamy and buttery on the middle palate, but controlled beautifully in juicy acidity and tannin grip. What a top wine find.’ – Jeni Port.
The ‘Bush Vine’ project represents the culmination of 35+ years’ experience of our families inland farming and viticultural journey where we test the limits of ‘dry growing’ in Merbein, Victoria, the heart of our production.
The vineyard was established organically in 2017 and managed with no herbicides or pesticides, hand pruned, hand harvested and even manually weeded. In the extreme hot and sometimes brutal climate of the Murray Darling, each vine is grown as a little tree/bush to provide its own shade and protection from the harsh sun. They are spaced 2.5 metres apart which enables them to capture the water it needs and minimises competition from neighbouring vines.
Hailing from the west of Sicily, Inzolia is considered one of the most important ancient Mediterranean (warm climate) white grape varieties and was a natural and appropriate choice for our bush vine planting. It’s sturdy makeup, drought tolerance, plump berries and thick firm skins all positive qualities for the site conditions.
