BellaRiva Pinot Grigio Vermentino 2011

Region: King Valley

Winestyle: This wine is more about style than variety. It is meant to be light, faintly aromatic, dry with texture and above all delicious.

Varieties: Pinot Grigio and Vermentino. Both Italian grape varieties. Pinot Grigio planted widely over Italy and Vermentino planted mainly in Sardinia and the south. In Australia very suited to the King Valley and other continental medium climates.

Vineyard: In 1994, the De Bortoli family planted the Bellariva vineyard on the King River at the base of the Victorian snowfields. The vineyard is planted on sandstone and shale deposits washed down by the river over time. It is planted with Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Moscato Giallo as well as some more traditional varieties.

Tasting Note: Light straw in colour with a green edge. Complex, faintly aromatic, fresh. Pear like fruit with nutty undertones. Clean but good texture and complexity, quite fine, gluggable!

Vintage Conditions: In 2011 we experienced a cool growing season with timely rainfall. Terrific season for the white aromatic varieties.

Winemaking: Grapes are both whole bunch pressed as well as crushed to give a range of phenolics for complexity and texture. The juice is allowed to ferment in used French oak casks as well as some conventional tank fermentation. Lees are stirred regularly until final assembling of the blend.

Maturation Oak: 20% of the blend is cask fermented.

Wine Analysis: Alc/Vol: 12.1%, pH: 3.22, TA: 6.4, RS: 3.5 g/L

Cellaring: Now or over the next 2-3 years in a good cellar.

Suggested Cuisine: Caeser Salad or Grilled Sardines.