2022 Mystery Orange Fume Blanc Deal No. 82

A heady mix of exotic fruit and citrus with herbaceous notes. The palate is balanced, with clean minerality and generous citrus character. Tight acidity gives the wine a distinct freshness. The oak is understated yet adds complexity and depth, whilst the extended lees contact creates textural richness, intensifying the luscious herbaceous characters.

October 2020 welcomed the beginning of budburst and the start of the 2021 vintage. Extensive work in the vineyard in the lead up to and throughout the growing season, along with abundant rainfall, saw the vines bounce back from the stress experienced during the drought conditions of 2019-2020.

While the rains were welcome, the cooler and wetter season presented its own challenges requiring long hours in the vineyard to maintain ideal vine and fruit health. Under vine mulching, application of organic fertiliser, multiple passes of leaf plucking and canopy trimming resulted in optimum fruit to leaf ratios and excellent fruit quality.

These extra hours and attention to detail were rewarded with an abundant harvest of exceptional complexity and subtleness, producing aromatic, elegant and flavourful wines.

VINITIFICATION

The fruit was harvested on 22 March 2021. In the winery it was gently whole bunch pressed.  The lightly fined juice was racked clean to stainless steel with a portion racked to older French oak barriques for fermentation.  The portion in tank was then fermented with an aromatic yeast strain at cool temperatures to retain varietal character and freshness.   The use of older oak and the extended aging on lees adds complexity. The wine was then blended, lightly fined, filtered and bottled in September 2021.

STYLE

Fumè Blanc is our rarefied interpretation of Sauvignon Blanc. A heady mix of exotic fruit and citrus with herbaceous notes. The palate is balanced, with clean minerality and generous citrus character. Tight acidity gives the wine a distinct freshness. The oak is understated yet adds complexity and depth, whilst the extended lees contact creates textural richness, intensifying the luscious herbaceous characters. A deliciously refreshing wine.