2023 Airlie Bank Gris on Skins Yarra Valley

Juicy and seductive, savoury and complex. Orchard fruits, berries and musk. Spice and clove This year we were back to a 50:50 mix of skins and whole-bunch ferments. The skins ferment was 72 hours, with light hand-plunging every 12 hours during that time. The wine was pressed at 8 baumé to old puncheons. The whole-bunch ferment was on skins for 14 days, with carbonic maceration until some light pigeage on days 12 and 13. It was pressed to old puncheons to finish ferment. Both batches had two months in oak unsulphured. The wine was racked in early May, with minimal filtration and no finings. 40ppm of SO2 was added prior to bottling. This vintage we focused on prettiness with supporting notes of funk and bunch. There was no shortage of flavour about; it’s an intense year for that but also characterised by high natural acidity – perfect for skinsy styles, which can otherwise become a bit soapy. And of course I’m very pleased with the colour, a perfect match for the new label… - Tim Shand, Punt Road

2023 was a cool vintage that produced exceptional wines across all varieties. Despite the delayed harvest caused by the cooler growing season, we were fortunate to have a mild summer with just a few hot days that allowed our fruit to mature gradually. Consequently, our wines boast complex and elegant flavours, fine tannins, and beautiful natural acidity. Our vineyard’s success this year is a testament to the hard work and dedication we put into caring for it. Our Pinot Gris is crafted using a blend of different blocks, with 65% of the harvest undergoing 100% whole-bunch fermentation in various-sized fermenters. Another 30% of the fruit is fermented on skins in a 4-tonne fermenter with twice-daily pump overs, while the remaining 5% is left in the press for 24 hours before undergoing a wild barrel ferment in old puncheons. After 20 days, the batches are pressed into old hogsheads where they remain for three months before bottling. We add minimal SO2 the day before bottling.