BARRATT 2011 PICCADILLY VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC

Bronze Medal - Adelaide Hills Wine Show 2011 (more reviews)

Following an extremely cool season, four small blocks of Sauvignon Blanc on the south-facing hillside at the northern end of the Piccadilly Valley were hand-harvested on 8th, 9th and 11th March with baumés ranging from 11.2° to 12.8°. The juice was maintained at low temperatures during fermentation with two separate commercial yeasts used across the four batches. Bottled 29th August 2011. The wine displays intensity and excellent varietal characters including grassy, herbaceous, citrus, tropical and floral aromas and flavours, a full palate and finishing with crisp natural acidity.


BARRATT 2010 'PICCADILLY SUNRISE' PINOT ROSÉ

This purpose-made Rosé was produced from estate-grown Pinot Noir grapes picked on 24th February at a baumé of 12.2°. Designed to highlight the attractive fruit characters of the Pinot grape, the fruit was crushed and after 44 hours of skin contact, the juice drained and fermented slowly under cool conditions. Bottled 22nd July 2010. Bright pink in colour, an attractive bouquet of strawberries, rose petals and Turkish Delight is followed by a palate of fresh, crisp acidity and a bone-dry finish. A delightful aperitif, but also an excellent food wine, particularly with spicy asian dishes.


BARRATT 2008 '15 OVER 35' CHARDONNAY

Conducting vintage during a heatwave creates challenge-a-plenty. The unusual name of this wine refers to the 15 consecutive days over 35°C experienced during vintage 2008. Fruit, harvested on 9 March, was crushed, pressed, settled and then fermented in tank and French oak barriques, 40% new. The wine was matured in oak for 10 months, alcohol reduced and bottled 4 December 2009. Attractive up-front melon and stone fruit characters with integrated smoky oak, and a creamy lingering palate finishing with crisp acidity.


BARRATT 2009 PICCADILLY VALLEY CHARDONNAY

95 points - James Halliday's 2012 Wine Companion (more reviews)

A cool vintage with small crops. Fruit hand-harvested from Uley Vineyard's 26-year old vines on 19 March. Barrel fermented with wild yeasts and matured in French oak barriques. Malolactic fermentation induced in 40%. Bottled 22 July 2010. An elegant cool climate Chardonnay showing stone fruit and citrus characters with subtle oak derived toasty, spicy notes, all beautifully integrated. The palate is at first restrained, but builds in the mouth to display complexity, richness, creaminess and length followed by a crisp acid finish. Excellent cellaring potential.

BARRATT 2008 'THE BONYTHON' PINOT NOIR

93 points - James Halliday's 2011 Wine Companion (more reviews)

Six clones of Pinot Noir grapes were sourced from our two Piccadilly Valley vineyards (Uley & Bonython) between the 7th and 14th of March, harvest precipitated by an unprecedented heat wave of 15 consecutive days over 35 degrees.  The cropping level averaged 2.3 tonnes per acre. Fermentation including 15% whole bunches, was carried out in small open fermenters hand plunged 4-5 times daily. The wine was matured in French oak barriques for 10 months before l'assemblage of the final blend.  An alcohol reduction procedure (MEMSTAR) was performed prior to bottling on the 26 February 2009. The wine displays a distinctly varietal aroma of ripe cherries, red berries, spices and floral notes complexed with briary and gamey characters. The palate is fleshy but balanced with attractive fruit sweetness spicy oak, soft tannins and good persistence.  Unfined and unfiltered to preserve intensity and colour the wine may throw a small harmless deposit during bottle maturation.


BARRATT 2008 'THE RESERVE' PINOT NOIR

94 points - James Halliday's 2011 Wine Companion (more reviews)

Despite an early March vintage precipitated by a heatwave of 15 days duration, we were able to produce this classical pinot Noir of Reserve status from fruit harvested from our Uley and Bonython vineyards in the Piccadilly Valley. Whole berries and bunches were fermented in open fermenters and the wine matured in French Oak Barriques for 11 months. The best barrels from the vintage were selected and combined as the Reserve blend. Bottled without prior fining or filtration, 26 February 2007. A strongly varietal aroma of dark cherries, floral notes and spice, with gamey, earthy complexity; followed by a beautifully integrated palate of sweet fruit and spice, and supported by soft, silky tannins, creating a wine of outstanding structure and length.

BARRATT 2006 'THE AMBROSE' MERLOT

Bronze Medal - Adelaide Hills Wine Show 2011 (more reviews)

Hand-crafted from our Bonython vineyard in the Piccadilly Valley on 26 April at a cropping level of 1.6 tonnes per acre and an average Baumé of 13.1 degrees. After crushing, the grapes were fermented in small, open fermenters and then either pressed to barrel (75%) or pumped to tank (25%) for a 16 day period of extended maceration before pressing and transfer to barrel. Matured in French Oak Barriques for 21 months and bottled 11 February 2008. Dark crimson in colour, the wine has complex aromas and flavours of blueberries, mulberries and plums with savoury notes of olives, spice and tobacco.  The medium- bodied palate is supported with fine tannins and balanced acid.

BARRATT 2008 'SONATINA' AUTUMN CHARDONNAY

Fruit for this wine was harvested on 23 April 2008, after a long hot summer provided some extra ripening in our cool climate Uley Vineyard. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented slowly, with the resulting wine then cooled to 0°C while still sweet (residual sugar 40g/L). After transfer to used French oak barriques, the wine was maintained at 0°C for 12 months with occasional lees stirring. Following stabilisation and filtration, it was bottled on 4 December 2009. At bottling, the wine displayed a pale, straw colour with an attractive aroma of melons, honey, citrus and spice. The palate is creamy but fresh, with a nice balance of rich fruit, sugar and acid. Recommended with fruit-based desserts or even light seafood dishes for those with a sweet-tooth.