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2022 Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay

Blend

100% Chardonnay

Vineyard

Ironstone Vineyard, Wilyabrup

Growing Notes

Gin Gin clone chardonnay, planted in 1985 in tightly spaced rows. The soils are Forest Grove and Mungite and the vineyard is within close proximity of the ocean.

Winemaking Notes

We began hand-picking the chardonnay fruit for this wine on 14 February 2022 over a compressed picking window due to a row of warm days. The wine is barrel fermented in 40% new, 30% 2nd fill and 30% 3rd fill French oak barriques for 9 months.

Vintage Conditions

Steady winter rains between May and September 2021 filled soil profiles enough to sustain through the drier months. Budburst and shoot growth were surprisingly even in spring, albeit a little behind average dates, with wet and cloudy conditions continuing through to late November. The growing season lagged 3 weeks later than average, with veraison of chardonnay completing around mid-January. Dry, clear conditions and no rainfall over December and
January sped up ripening, with early picking varieties maturing only a week later than historical average dates. The 2022 vintage resulted in whites of purity and power.

Aroma

White nectarines, jasmine and grapefruit, laced with hints of lanolin, cashews and lemon leaf.

Palate

Tensile and utterly focused, a precise and unyielding barrage of pure white fruit tannin, unctuous sheets of crushed granite and lingering white florals and freshly cut stone fruits. A seascape finish of minerality and lingering purity.

Cellaring

Enjoyed for its freshness now or cellar for up to 10 years for further complexity.

Alcohol

13.5%

In Stock

Wine Specs

Vintage

2022

Varietal

Chardonnay

Vineyard Designation

Ironstone Block

Alcohol %

13.5

Wine Profile

Tasting Notes

Nectarines and jasmine laced with pure natural acidity and fleshy textures of white pear. A finely textured palate of grapefruit and ginger provides focus and line to a dense finish of primary fruits and toasty French oak.

Vineyard Notes

Ironstone Vineyard

Production Notes

After an unseasonable dry early Winter, late rains in August and September came to the rescue. Budburst commenced in early August and continued until late September. Significant rain events persisted through to mid-October, with conditions fining up through the flowering period enabling successful flowering and fruit set. Vine growth was excellent and excess vigour issues were dealt with by employing shoot thinning and vine de-legging practices, in a successful attempt to deter regrowth and crowding of fruit zone areas. Harvest began on the 27th January, in line with the earliest picking dates on record, trailing out until completion on the 13th April.

Winemaker Notes

The fruit for the Ironstone Chardonnay is hand-picked from the Ironstone Vineyard in the heart of Wilyabrup. The fruit is chilled and whole-cluster pressed to retain freshness and cultivate texture and structure. The juice is settled cold and racked after 2 days, harvesting only the lightest and most delicate grape solids to further aid in textural and aromatic development. The juice is barrel fermented in 40% new, 30% 2nd fill and 30% 3rd fill French oak barriques. 66% of the barrels are sulphured pre-malolactic fermentation, in order to further preserve fresh fruit aromatics and pure acidity. The other 33% are allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation, developing both richer, bolder aromatics and textural elements. It is then aged in oak for 9 months and battonaged every two weeks to develop texture and additional palate complexity, after which the wine is removed from barrel, clarified and bottled.