Single Vineyard Summit Chardonnay 2021

Winemaker: Erinn Klein

Grape(s): Chardonnay

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

Site(s): Summit Vineyard

Vintage notes: The wines of 2021 have come together beautifully, after a near perfect growing season and vintage conditions. For the first time in a few years we had reasonable winter rains going into the spring of 2020 and also some good follow-up rains right into early summer.

There was no late season frost, no hail, and amazing weather conditions during flowering. We also had a much milder than average summer in 2021 with no severe heat spikes. This resulted in a perfectly long ripening season and optimal ripening conditions.

It’s rare that amazing quality, concentration of flavour and finesse comes together with such generous quantity. Truly an outstanding vintage.

Vineyard notes: The grapes for this wine are from our east-facing Summit Vineyard which collects more of the morning sunlight and less of the intense, direct afternoon heat. Vineyard altitude ranges between 330m and 360m above sea level, and the soil consists of sandy loam over red-orange clay, sandstone and ironstone. Fruit for our Single Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a small section in the middle of this vineyard where the balance of topsoil over subsoil is optimal for vine balance, flavour concentration and structure. The entire farm is certified biodynamic and is farmed with the rhythms of nature, tending towards a self-sustaining system without the use of synthetic chemical inputs.

Winemaking: The Chardonnay grapes are hand harvested into small 15kg crates then whole bunch pressed with minimal settling overnight into new (30%) and old French oak barriques (228L) and larger format Barrels (500 and 600L). Fermentation begins spontaneously with wild yeast from our vineyards and winery, with full malolactic fermentation occurring naturally.  Wines mature on full lees for 11 months with no battonage. A small dose of sulphur is added at blending, just prior to bottling. No added yeast, no enzymes, no fining.

Tasting note: Aromas of white flesh peach fruit, flint stone, almond husk, oar meal and integrated oak. A Chardonnay with saline minerality, acidity, complex and showing potential to shine with more age in bottle.

Closure: High quality composite cork that is cork-taint free guaranteed.

ABV: 13.2%

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. Each bottle is individually numbered.

Production size: 196 dozen