A fragrant and floral nose. Light and gulpable, yet complex with lots of interest.
Growing Conditions
Schliebs Family Farm is a biodynamically-grown vineyard with 50-70 year-old cinsault vines in the sandy Vine Vale subregion of the Barossa. Schliebs Family Farm is owned and maintained by Wayne Ahrens, who makes his own wine under the Small Fry label.
Winter rainfall and temperatures continued in the La Niña weather pattern of 2021: a cooler and wetter season. Ample ground moisture led to a productive Spring, moderate temperatures continued through the summer, never getting too hot. Autumn was sunny and dry, resulting in great flavor ripeness with moderate sugar levels.
Harvest
Clean fruit picked on March 17th.
Bottling
Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Closure: Stelvin
Winemaking
Grapes hand-picked and transported to Torquay, Victoria overnight. Rested for 24 hours in cool sun. Fully destemmed into open-top fermenters, where a wild ferment commenced. Daily punch-downs, one rack and return with aggressive foot-stomping, and racked after alcoholic fermentation into 5 year-old puncheons. Wines went through full malolactic fermentation, and received 60 ppm of sulfur at the end of it.
Label design: The “micro” symbol has been arranged and colored to convey the flavor profile of the wine, into pinkish purple starbursts/fireworks/budding flowers. A visual tasting note from the winemaker.
Nose
A fragrant and floral nose of fresh rosella and cherry blossom.
Palate
On the palate, the wine is light on its feet, juicy but fresh, with ultra soft tannins. Flavors of tart raspberry, lilly pilly (a native stone fruit reminiscent of sour plum), saltbush, and pickled watermelon rind. Light and gulpable, yet complex with lots of interest.