Bilancia
Tiratore Chardonnay 2021 750ml

tiratore Italian (to-ra-tó-re) hunter/marksman

When planting these vines, old, spent bullets were found in almost every hole dug on the slope of la collina; we imagine this area was used for many years as a firing range for target practice.

Single vineyard Chardonnay from vines originally planted in 2001 on the lower slopes, terraces and flat, old riverbed of la collina vineyard. The site is planted to a number of different clones of Chardonnay, predominantly B95 and UCD15 with a smaller contribution from 548, 809 and Mendoza. These clones and the rows are represented by the stylised artwork of the label. 

The fruit is 100% hand-picked, whole bunch pressed to French oak puncheons and barriques for fermentation. Indigenous yeast carried the ferment to dryness. The wine spent 11 months in oak prior to bottling; there was no fining or cold stabilisation. There were no additives other than sulphur.

It has always been our plan to produce a flagship Chardonnay from the la collina vineyard, reflecting the variety and the vineyard site rather than the winemaking.

With full fruit and complexity and just a touch of flint, the palate is tight with hints of salinity and wet stone. With time it will open up to rich, nutty, hazelnut and almond flavours.

This wine is ready to drink on release and will continue to develop positively for 6 – 8 years.