Iggy Adelaide Hills Rebula 2023

Ribolla Giolla in Italian, and certainly made as a homage to Friuli. From a cooler part of the Adelaide Hills, a triangle of 300 vines at the bottom of a slope otherwise planted to Syrah. 40% on skins for 2 months, yet there is nothing orange or skinsy about this. Generous and succulent with yellow flowers, peach skin, dark honey, mustard seed, green melon and dark citrus. Quite full bodied, spicy and savoury with notes of yellow fruit, fresh apricot orange zest and lanolin. The best example to come out of Australia, and from only 3 year old vines. I truly believe this is a ground breaking wine in an Australian context. Serve with rich meats, such as porchetta, roast suckling pig or Balmain Bugs. 583 bottles only. Waters Wine Co

A versatile variety that thrives in western part of Slovenia (Brda and Vipava Valley) and north-eastern Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) where it’s also known as Ribolla Gialla. It has been first mentioned in 13th century, praised by Boccaccio, and taxed the highest amongst all vineyards by Maria Theresa a few centuries later.

When first cuttings became available from Chalmers Nursery, I immediately started persuading one of the more curious grape growers in Adelaide Hills to help me find a spot for it. Timing was perfect. Chris Pinchbeck was about to re-plant a block of land on a cooler, east-facing slope of his Forreston property. I considered well-drained, loamy soils over the limestone with scattered ironstone as an ideal site. We quickly agreed to plant 300 vines in spring 2020, consequently establishing (to our best knowledge) the very first vineyard of Rebula in South Australia. We were eagerly awaiting first crop in a cool and long season of 2022/2023. What a joyful moment when you realise the fruit is of great quality, and decision, as wild as it may sounded 3 years ago, has proven itself to be the right one.

Hand-picked on a crisp morning of 10th of April with the help of our friends. 60% of the fruit was whole bunch pressed with juice fermented under temperature control in stainless steel tank, while 40% was fermented on skins, and pressed off in a small basket press after 2 months of maceration. Native yeast, full malolactic fermentation, 17 months of aging in used French oak barrels on fine lees, minimal sulphur dioxide addition. Winemaker’s Notes

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