We are incredibly pleased to release our first wine aged in Qvevri.
Last vintage we were lucky enough to land the opportunity to use Andy and Tina’s Georgian Qvevri. Buried in the ground, just down the road, at A + T's place in Harcourt, lies an ancient style clay vessel. This Shiraz was fermented and aged in this Qvevri.
Ageing wine in these ancient vessels lends a savoury and textural edge to the resultant wines. The Qvevri, being buried underground, has a very stable temperature all year round. These vessels are notoriously difficult to clean, and the winemaker must throw caution to the wind, and trust the process, as wines have been made this way for thousands of years.
The fruit for this wine was grown in Harcourt on sandy granitic loams. The fruit was hand picked, and chilled overnight before being whole bunch pressed. The juice was racked to the Qvevri a few days later for fermentation. The wine spent 326 days underground, at a very stable temperature, on full lees. The wine was hand bottled and hand waxed in April 2023.
With thanks to Phillip Huynh for photographing the process over the year. And a big thanks to Stephanie Stamatis and Phil for creating the label.
Winemaker's Notes: “A veritable feast of summer berries, strawberry yoghurt, and blood orange. Structured, savoury, and the essence of wet pebble on the palate.”
