It seems there’s nothing Pete Schell can’t turn his hand to―elegant yet powerful Adelaide Hills Chardonnay included! It may not be the first variety you associate with Schell, but you should know his first Australian gig was at Mountadam Vineyards in the Eden Valley back when it was a benchmark cool-climate Chardonnay producer. So, you could say Chardonnay is in his blood. From the 2021 season, fruit for the Spinifex Chardonnay is sourced from the Morialta Vineyard in Norton Summit, located on the western edge of the Adelaide Hills. The low-yielding, northeast-facing block is home to 22-year-old vines that run north to south. All the farming is done by hand, from pruning and bunch-thinning to harvest.
The bunches were picked by hand in the cool of the morning and chilled overnight, then fully destemmed and crushed. The fruit macerated for four hours before being gently pressed to barrel (30% new oak) for fermentation, followed by partial malolactic conversion and 10 months’ maturation with occasional stirring. It’s terrifically polished and layered Chardonnay, jam-packed with full-throttle, complex flavour balanced beautifully by vivid tension and mouthwatering acid cut. Drink and be happy.