"A complex, detailed, wonderfully savoury and delicious wine. Unlike most verdelhos, it’s got faint saline and mineral characters among stone-fruit, green apple juice and citrus notes" —Mike Bennie for Gourmet Traveller

Barrel fermented, basket pressed, natural ferment.

Grapes were handpicked on Feb 12 and destemmed and held on skins for 24 hours, then basket pressed into seasoned oak and ferment started naturally. After fermentation it was topped sealed and stirred monthly for 6 months before racked and cross flow filtered into bottle.  

This wine's label features an illustration of a Trichogramma wasp. Trichogramma are tiny wasps (~0.5mm long) that are natural predators of other wasps and moths. They lay their eggs in eggs of moths whose larvae feed on many of our crops. Adults wasps feed on nectar and require a nectar source in order to sustain them in the egg parasitising activities.  A recent survey at Ray-Monde found that Trichogamma were 3 x more abundant in treed shelter-belts that in pasture. Winter habitat and reduced use of insecticides is essential for them to flourish naturally.