The Wine Blend (Sezão, Merenzao (Bastardo) and Touriga Naçional)
It all starts with the finesse, fine structure and acidity of the Sezão which tightens, brightens and drives the long palate of the wine. The Merenzao contributes bright and fragrant florals and herbal lift as well as red fruit energy. The Touriga Naçional brings a savoury tannin depth and breadth to the palate, black and blue fruits and liquorice spice characters. Wonderfully complex, this medium to full bodied blend works together to create the perfect chorus. Enjoy this wine with the traditional Portuguese indulgent smoked meat sandwich called Francesinha.
Vitis Vineyard was established in 1969 by the Shelmerdine family in the Nagambie Lakessubregion of the Goulburn Valley wine region. The vineyard is still owned and operated by the next generations of the Shelmerdine family who have been in viticulture for over 50 years. Taking enormous pride in best viticultural practices, the Shelmerdine family oversee the production of the highest quality fruit.
VALLEY SELECTION
Our Valley Selection range of small batch wines are created from parcels of fruit carefully selected by our winemakers from a single vineyard. The wines explore the individuality of each variety and our expression of wine styles, while reflecting the unique region in which they are grown. Each bottle captures the essence of the growing season and the vineyard, nurtured by our growers, and then passionately crafted by our winemakers into remarkable and age-worthy wines.
THE WINEMAKING
The first variety to be harvested at optimum maturity was Merenzao (Bastardo) on the 26th February, followed by Touriga Naçional on the 19th March and lastly the Sezão on the 9th April. Each variety was fermented separately with specially selected yeasts designed to bring out the personality, aromas and flavours of the variety. Depending on the variety, up to 18 days of fermentation on skins occurred before the wine was pressed to tank. After allowing the lees to settle, the wine was racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation and maturation. After 12 months in barrel, a blend of the three varieties was completed and then returned to barrel for a further 8 months to allow a smooth and seamless integration. The wine was fined and filtered prior to being bottled.
THE VINTAGE
A cold wet start to the growing season proved challenging in the vineyards with fruit set and ultimately yields lower than average. Summer began with high humidity, but during the ripening period became stable and dry. A balanced and even development of flavour and tannin ripeness occurred with fine natural acidity retained across all varieties. While the quantity of grapes was down in 2022, quality was fantastic.
