2009 The Broken Fishplate
Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc
© Roy Bisson
Technical Information
Harvest Dates:
1 March to 12 March
Oak Maturation:
3% fermented in old French oak barrels
Alcohol by Vol:
11.5%
Glucose + Fructose:
3.1 g/L
Titratable Acid:
7.7 g/L
pH:
3.1
Bottled:
3 June 2009
Chief Winemaker:
Chester d’Arenberg Osborn
Senior Winemaker:
Jack Walton
The Story Behind The Name
Despite being a good match for fish, the name actually has little to do with sea going creatures. A fishplate is the colloquial term for the plates that collect the grape bunches on a harvester. The Adelaide Hills vineyard this wine is sourced from follows the contours of a steep hill which causes some very tight turns and awkward manoeuvres for the drivers. This often results in a broken fishplate, a dilemma that is not easily or quickly resolved for the driver. So this wine is a tribute to the hard working vineyard workers who are constantly repairing the fishplates.
The Characteristics
Wonderfully aromatic, the passionfruit, snow pea, guava, lemon and lime characters literally jump out of the glass in a wave of flavour.
The palate opens with blackcurrant bud and soft tropical fruits of mango and lychee which are delicately balanced by crisp, refreshing citrus. The flavours cascade across the palate with the touch of barrel fermentation adding texture, complexity and interest.
The acidity is nicely linear and the palate long on this crisp Adelaide Hills wine. Serve well chilled on its own or with fresh seafood, salads or seasonal fruit.
The Vintage
Sufficient winter rains set up the vines well with good canopies, particularly in the Adelaide Hills.
December and most of January was very cool with only three days above 30°C until late in the month.
There was a string of days above 40°C which caused some loss of yield. However there was little negative affect on quality owing to the cool climate of the Adelaide Hills and the mild weather that followed. This allowed the vines to recover and finish ripening in low stress conditions.
The Winemaking
During vintage Chief Winemaker, Chester Osborn, chose when to pick the fruit by walking the vineyard rows and tasting grapes, looking for flavour intensity and acid structure.
The grapes were passed through the gentle Demoisy rubber toothed crusher before being basket pressed.
The fermentation was long and moderately cool to retain fresh fruit characters. Around 3% of the juice was fermented in aged French Oak to add mouth feel. A few one year old French barrels (approximately 1% of final blend) underwent wild fermentation to add complexity.
Customer Tasting Notes
I have acquired quite a taste for this from afar, being situated in the Kimberley region. A beautiful and refreshing wine that I can't go past when selecting a white.