Organic. Another feather in the cap of this grape’s original gangsters. Quealy’s new singe-block Pinot Grigio is sourced from the estate’s oldest vines (planted in 1996) in the Balnarring vineyard. Here, the mature, dry-grown vines, shallow clay soils and restricted volume are some of the keys to the wine’s expressive character. Then there is the Balnarring climate, which brings flavour early, thus allowing Quealy to pick with freshness in mind.
The grapes were handpicked at 11.9 Baumé, then gently whole-bunch pressed (only 580 litres per tonne) so only the finest delicate juice was expressed. It was settled overnight, then racked and allowed to naturally ferment in 25% new wood for four weeks before it was sent back to stainless steel. The wine sat on gross lees with no bâtonnage to chase down a steely and more mineral profile. Made without any additions or filtration.