2016 Kevin John Legacy Series Fruit Day
The 2016 season delivered another outstanding vintage: the fruit produced by all varieties in the vineyards of Cullen Wines was exceptional.
Very low yields (below 2 tonnes/hectare) and ideal ripening conditions resulted in wines of great texture and finesse.
These low yields, fantastic PH and great acids levels translated in wines of tremendous depth. The Chardonnay grapes were hand harvested on a fruit day from 40 year old vines.
They were then whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeast in barrel and a concrete egg.
It underwent natural fermentation prior to receiving 10 months of oak maturation and was bottled directly from barrel with no fining and no filtration.
Vintage Notes
2016 Vintage report
We were happy to have the 2016 harvest. It followed three vintages of tiny yields which left us with very little wine to sell!
The vintage had average yields and the rain that fell in January 80mm, and then February 15mm, and March 10 mm, had no effect at all on the fruit quality. The resultant wines have a wonderful aromatic quality and elegance, particularly in Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
Great vintage for Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and in the reds Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Winemaker Notes
Vineyard: 100% Cullen Vineyard
Varieties: Chardonnay
Harvest: 27th January 2016, Fruit day.
Oak: 100% for 10 months in Mercurey puncheons, of which 50% were new.
Alcohol: 13.1%
Production: 890 bottles
Tasting Notes
Previous Releases
-
2014 Kevin John Legacy Series Fruit Barrel Chardonnay
Harvested on a Fruit Day, whole bunch pressed and aged in Biodnamic Fruit Barrels giving full fruit flavour and character. The wines have not been fined or filtered and were bottles straight from barrel.
Read moreView Tasting Notes -
2013 Kevin John Legacy Series Flower Day Chardonnay
This parcel of Chardonnay was harvested on the New Moon, Flower Day, whole bunch pressed into Flower Barrels (barrels harvested and coopered on a Flower Day)
Read moreView Tasting Notes -
2014 Kevin John Legacy Series Flower Barrel Chardonnay
Whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeast in Flower Day Barrels. The oak was harvested and coopered on a Flower Day according to the biodynamic calendar. We find this gives the wine a more minerality and line.
Read moreView Tasting Notes -
2014 Kevin John Legacy Series – Flower Day MOSH
We have observed that Moon Opposite Saturn Harvest (MOSH) gives us wines which are vibrant, mineral and full of life, so we harvested separately on this day, which was a flower day harvest and whole bunch pressed to barrel where the wines went through natural fermentation.
Read moreView Tasting Notes