Renzaglia
White WineRenzaglia Chardonnay 2022
2022 marked the 25th anniversary of Renzaglia Wines' Bella Luna Vineyard, a milestone that saw both the vineyard and the winery reaching maturity with the latest release. With each passing year, they gain a deeper understanding of the vineyard’s unique traits and idiosyncrasies, which they skillfully highlight or temper as needed.
The year 2022 posed significant viticultural challenges for the region. Easterly weather patterns brought considerable humidity across the Blue Mountains and warm evenings, contributing to the most severe year of downy mildew Renzaglia has ever faced. Additionally, early-season hail compounded the disease pressure, necessitating the dropping of some fruit. To mitigate these issues, they harvested one-third of the vineyard early, including any fruit showing signs of botrytis or downy mildew, managing to address most of the botrytis before it became too problematic. In the winery, this fruit received a pre-fermentation bentonite treatment to prevent premature oxidation caused by the laccase in the botrytis, followed by a slow fermentation in barrels using wild yeasts, maintaining the winery's traditional methods. This batch turned out exceptionally lean and high in acid.
The subsequent batch of grapes was harvested weeks later, on March 29. This fruit was basket pressed and then briefly settled before being barreled (one-third in new Cavin oak). It underwent a slow fermentation in the barrels over the following month and was aged on full yeast lees for 10 months with intermittent stirring, assessed on a barrel-by-barrel basis. To maintain the wine's tension, fermentation in two barrels was halted before the completion of malolactic fermentation. The barrels were then blended and transferred to a tank where they remained for six months before bottling in late September 2023, followed by a light filtration.
The year 2022 posed significant viticultural challenges for the region. Easterly weather patterns brought considerable humidity across the Blue Mountains and warm evenings, contributing to the most severe year of downy mildew Renzaglia has ever faced. Additionally, early-season hail compounded the disease pressure, necessitating the dropping of some fruit. To mitigate these issues, they harvested one-third of the vineyard early, including any fruit showing signs of botrytis or downy mildew, managing to address most of the botrytis before it became too problematic. In the winery, this fruit received a pre-fermentation bentonite treatment to prevent premature oxidation caused by the laccase in the botrytis, followed by a slow fermentation in barrels using wild yeasts, maintaining the winery's traditional methods. This batch turned out exceptionally lean and high in acid.
The subsequent batch of grapes was harvested weeks later, on March 29. This fruit was basket pressed and then briefly settled before being barreled (one-third in new Cavin oak). It underwent a slow fermentation in the barrels over the following month and was aged on full yeast lees for 10 months with intermittent stirring, assessed on a barrel-by-barrel basis. To maintain the wine's tension, fermentation in two barrels was halted before the completion of malolactic fermentation. The barrels were then blended and transferred to a tank where they remained for six months before bottling in late September 2023, followed by a light filtration.
$65.00
2022
750ml
White Wine
Chardonnay
Australia
New South Wales
Appellation, Central ranges
Pairing,White Fish, Poultry, Pasta, Soft Cheese, Ripe Cheese, Sausage, Vegetables
Closure,Screwcap
Alcohol Content,12.3%
Producer,Renzaglia
Stored in a temperature-controlled cellar
Specialist Wine Courier (where possible)
Insured Delivery
