Hi Everyone,
On Friday the 3rd of May, my first commercial Vintage will be bottled and released on the market during the first week of June! I am holding the wine for 3 to 4 weeks to ensure that if it has any “bottle shock” it will dissipate by then. Some of you may not be aware of what bottle shock is so here is a brief explanation:
Bottle shock or Bottle sickness is a temporary condition of wine characterised by muted or disjointed fruit flavours. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are given an additional dose of sulphur (in the form of sulphur dioxide of sulphite solution), and are subject to other forms of handling and transport. After a few weeks, the condition usually disappears.
If you haven’t secured your case by now, do so before the end of May and your case will be delivered during the week commencing Monday the 3rd of June!
Meanwhile my One Lonely Barrel 2013 Vintage is well on its way. Handpicked 2 weeks earlier than last year, most wine growers reported low yields (approx. 60% of what they would normally expect), however the quality is great once again.
Over the last 8 weeks my 2013 Personally Produced Barossa Shiraz, after being carefully hand picked, crushed, pressed, taken off the “Gross Lees” (see racking clip on website) and gone through malolactic fermentation as described below.
Malolactic fermentation (or sometimes malolactic conversion or MLF) is a process in wine making where tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation tends to create a rounder, fuller mouth feel. It has been said that malic acid tastes of green apples. By contrast, lactic acid is richer and more buttery tasting. Grapes produced in cool regions tend to be high in acidity, much of which comes from the contribution of malic acid. MLF is also thought to be generally enhance the body and flavour persistence of wine, producing wines of greater palate softness and roundness. Many winemakers also feel that better integration of fruit and oak character can be achieved if MLF occurs during the time the wine is in the barrel.
As my 2012 Vintage came out after over 12 months maturation in French oak, my 2013 Vintage was transferred into the maturation vessels for a quiet sleep over winter. A short video clip will soon be available for you to see the journey so far…
Until then, remember it’s all about sharing and my wine is highly recommended to be enjoyed in moderation with your favourite foods…
Cheers
John