Back in the late 1800’s, when men were men and sheep were scarce, the rugged outback of Australia was tamed by our drovers (cowboys). Because of the vastness of the landscape and the size of cattle stations, these men would be away from home for months at a time, taking shelter along the way in these rugged little wooden shacks with tin roofs and bare floors. Very few of these huts are left and we’ve been careful to take good care of the one on the edge our chardonnay vineyard, which sits on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. We keep fishing tackle (and a pile of good booze) in it now, for our staff who want to fish from the river.

Premier parcels of Chardonnay were mechanically harvested in the cool of the night and delivered to Nugan Estate Winery. The fruit was destemmed, chilled, and membrane pressed to stainless steel vats for overnight settling. The parcel was coarsely racked prior to fermentation. A high-level solids were retained in the juice to assist with textural enhancement and the juice was inoculated with a carefully selected yeast. Once dry, the vessels were topped and Bâtonnaged monthly on gross yeast lees to build mouthfeel and complexity for 12 months.

Soil Types: Alluvial red medium clay / silty loams over red / orange medium clays.

Aspect of Vineyard: Flat river flood plain nearby to the Murrumbidgee River.

Soil Nutrition: Moderate fertility, low salinity, neutral pH, with good levels of Calcium, Boron and Zinc. Climate: Warm, Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and moderate rainfall in the winter months. Clone Planted: FVI10V5 planted in 1998.

Rootstock: Own roots.

Trellis System: Single tier, sprawling system, without manual manipulation. Planting Distance: 3.3m x 1.5m.

Irrigation: Drip irrigation. Harvest Dates: Typically, mid-February.