Pete Schell's Aglianico is drawn from vines rooted in the quartz clay and granite soils of Caj Amadio's vineyard near Kersbrook in the northern Adelaide Hills, at 300 metres above sea level. Aglianico is already a late-ripening variety—more so at this kind of altitude—and these are always Spinifex's last vines to be harvested. Pete says, “Aglianico has shown a great affinity for this site with the fruit ripening very late, typically just before the break in the season, with deep flavours, fresh tannins and high natural acids.”
The fruit is fully destemmed and the fermenting wine spent two weeks on its skins before being matured in large-format casks, thick-stave demi-muids and stainless steel. To capture the variety’s perfume and bright fruit, it was bottled unfiltered after 10 months. With the exception of a little sulphur dioxide, nothing was added.