Single Vineyard 'Summit' Chardonnay 2022

Winemaker: Erinn Klein

Grape(s): Chardonnay

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

Site(s): Summit Vineyard - Winner 2023 'Vineyard of the Year', Young Gun of Wines

Vintage notes: Vintage 2022 was set up by a milder spring and summer with no severe heat spikes or extended hotter periods. Spring and early summer were wetter than usual resulting it good soil moisture and thus requiring only minimal irrigation just before picking.

Flowering and set were good, if we don’t compare them to the dream conditions we had for the 2021 vintage! We had a few disease challenges with warm, wet weather, particularly one event where the vines had wet leaves for three days around the 10th of January. Our vine health was good and therefore resilient to these challenging few days.

Finally, a long and slow ripening with cool conditions over harvest produced great delicate wines across all varieties.

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: The 2022 Summit Chardonnay wonderfully encapsulates the quality of fruit from the Summit Vineyard. Abundant aromas of fleshy, ripe yellow nectarine, toasted cashews, almond brioche and mandarin blossom are complemented with flinty accents. A rich and textural palate, fresh acidity and well integrated oak. Drinking brilliantly now, but demonstrates great potential for extended cellaring. 

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

ABV: 13.7%

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: 381 six packs

Reviews

"Unreal drinking right here. This kind of levity and freshness yet nutty, savoury undertow, crystalline pink grapefruit and Golden Delicious apple on top, a slick of liquid spice and a barely there pear juice thing going on. Slips over the palate with ease, glossy and then a puckering, chalky finish gently there as well. A distinct energy to the wine too – it moves well and bristles with saline minerality. Just fantastic."

95 Points

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front