Old Cellar WP (White Tawny)
750mL. This white tawny style fortified is produced utilising many of the white grape varieties grown on the property. It is fortified using low strength “Brandy” spirit. The majority of this wine is matured in ex-Cognac barrels imported from France. First released in 2020.
Halliday Wine Companion - 2023 Rating: 88
Alcohol: 18.9%
Standard Drinks: 11.2
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The wine is made with a various white varieties including Riesling, Gouais, Roussanne and Traminer. The percentages of which will alter as the years progress as will the wine.
It is probably best to focus on the method of production as the tasting notes will also alter over time; this has been reflected in the description put on the label as well.
The whites used were predominately the pressings of the above mentioned white varieties and these were fermented together in an old open stainless steel fermenting vessel until we reached the trigger baumé (a specific gravity measure for sugar using a hydrometer ) for fortification (we sought to achieve around 4 - 5 baumé after the addition of the fortifying alcohol). The alcohol chosen for the fortification was a low strength grape spirit to aid in the complexity to the palate (it is the same type utilised for the Rutherglen Tawny).
The wine has then be predominately matured in 350 Litre hogshead barrels, which prior to this were used in the production of Cognac. It is my belief here that it is the remnant cognac held in the barrel which had not only lead to some of the flavours on the palate but also a slightly higher alcohol content in the wine.
Stephen Chambers
