Smugglers Boot Chardonnay

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The grapes were handpicked and then whole bunch pressed. Half of the juice was gravity-flowed directly into used French oak barrels without settling whilst the other half was placed into ceramic spheres. The unclarified juice has neither enzymes nor yeast added. The turbid juice underwent a natural fermentation until dry. On all batches, malolactic fermentation was discouraged by a light sulphuring post-fermentation.

2022 follows 2021 as another cooler season. Winter had ideal conditions in that there was water availability throughout and the temperatures were lower than average. Compared to 2021 our average temperature was 0.8o cooler made possible by cooler minimum temperatures. Spring was favourably drier than average enabling a very even budding and shoot growth. However, it was also cool meaning that the growth cycle as per 2021 started 10 to 14 days later. As flowering and set commenced in late October, cooler and drizzly weather contributed to wonderfully lush canopies that required continuous management throughout the Spring and into early Summer. This verdant growth, later phenology, and cool weather extended and prolonged véraison and into the harvesting season. Summer itself was cooler and wetter leading to more challenges of fungal pressure especially given the canopies were denser. Harvest time in 2022 was eventually delayed on average by 10 to 14 days. There were pockets of intense heat during January that led to leaf losses especially those that had previously suffered from downy mildew. The upside is that no irrigation was required during the entire season thus maintaining healthy dam levels. Overall, the white wines have purity and freshness with fabulous aromatics and integrated natural acidity.

The wine then matured in the vessels – in 2021 the Smuggler’s Boot Chardonnay spent an average of 8 months on its fermentation lees which were periodically stirred to enable yeast autolysis - that creamy, oatmeal mouthfeel component. The batches were then individually tasted and blended together with a light fining and bottled.