Small Batch Aglianico 2020

Winemaker: Erinn Klein

Grape(s): Aglianico

GI: Adelaide Hills (Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia)

Site(s): Ngeringa Rufus Vineyard

Vintage notes: Overall 2020 produced some outstanding fruit, although not without challenges. An extremely dry winter and spring, coupled with poor flowering conditions, gave low vigour vines with an extremely low crop. Fortunately, moderate rain events in mid and late January refreshed the vines and set them up for veraison. The period leading into harvest was textbook cool, Adelaide Hills conditions. The low yields gave rise to concentrated flavours and high natural acidity.

Vineyard notes: Our Aglianico grapes are grown on a steep westerly facing slope of the Rufus Vineyard at about 360m above sea level, on rocky red ironstone and schist over clay. Quite a challenging vineyard site – facing west, it receives the intense summer afternoon sun and often is exposed to characteristic winds of the Adelaide Hills. From the top of this vineyard in the distance, however, one can see Lake Alexandrina and the mouth of the Murray River, consequently receiving cooling evening breezes, which do much to preserve fruit acids and flavours through the critical weeks of ripening. Only 500 vines planted.

Winemaking: A very small batch of Aglianico made for the first time. All grapes were de-stemmed, wild yeast fermented, gently extracted by daily hand plunging for two weeks. Then 11 months maturation in one older French oak barrique.

No fining. Estate bottled with small amounts of sulphites added before bottling.

Tasting note: A good example of this Southern Italian variety for a first vintage. Dark berry and plum aromas, hints of herbal notes, nutmeg and dark cherries. On the palate there is a presence of  tannins with a good acid backdrop and surprising complexity. Overall a light to medium bodied red.

Closure: Stelvin Screw Cap

ABV: 12.0%

Label Design: Ngeringa bases its branding and imagery on its relationship with the land: The logo makes the shape of Mount Barker Summit and the icon, in a circle, makes reference to the full moon and to the biodynamic practice of working with the rhythms of nature. The sheoak sits inside the circle, reflecting the name, Ngeringa, the place of sheoak.

Production size: 124 bottles