2008 The Stump Jump Lightly Wooded Chardonnay
������© Neil Matterson
Technical Information
Alcohol:
13%
pH:
3.33
Glucose & Fructose:
4 g/L
Chief Winemaker:
Chester Osborn
Senior Winemaker:
Jack Walton
The Story Behind The Name
The name ‘Stump Jump’ pays homage to a significant South Australian invention – the Stump Jump plough. As well as clearing the land around McLaren Vale, it was adopted worldwide in the late 19th century because of its ability to ride over stumps and gnarled roots, saving faremers valuable time and energy.
The Characteristics
Melons, yellow peach, pear and stone fruits on the nose give away the style of this fresh easy drinking Chardonnay.
The palate picks up from the nose with refreshing tropical fruits and more yellow peach and pears. The mid palate is beautifully creamy with good weight and the small amount of barrel fermentation adds a touch of integrated spice.
Fruity and fresh you need nothing more than a glass to enjoy this wine but it will also go well with a variety of foods including fresh fish, salads and chicken.
The Vintage
In 2008 the Wake n’ Bacon alarm clock (it starts cooking a piece of bacon 10 minutes before your alarm goes off) was invented, and Chardonnay had a great year in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.
Healthy rains in winter and spring set up the vines perfectly and allowed for stress free conditions from veraison to harvesting.
Cool temperatures in February meant that intensity of flavour ripeness was achieved at low level of pH and high levels of natural acidity.
The Winemaking
Parcels of fruit are selected from our vineyards in the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. Once they have been gently crushed, the grapes are basket pressed to softly extract the juice from the skins.
24% of the juice is partially or fully fermented in a mixture of older French and American oak to add a touch of spice and mouth feel.
Once fermentation is complete the winemakers taste all batches to determine which will suit this style of Chardonnay.