2020 Estate Cuvée Blanc de Blancs

Vineyard Location

Nestled in the picturesque Adelaide Hills, our Hahndorf vineyard at an elevation of 450m is the source of the Estate Cuvée Blanc de Blanc. Harvested from a single south-facing block on our Ravenswood Lane vineyard, this high-altitude site, containing sparkling Chardonnay clones G9V7 and B277, contributes to the unique character of our cuvée.

Season

The vintage of 2020 began with a cool November featuring average daily temperatures of 13.1°C. Mild rainfall and strong southerly winds delayed vine development and flowering, resulting in a two-week delay compared to the cool 2017 season. Adverse winds affected exposed vines, yet proved fortunate as the low-yielding vines redirected energy into remaining bunches, producing fruit of exceptional concentration, particularly in Chardonnay. December presented challenges with extremely hot days leading to bushfires, but The Lane estate was thankfully spared from smoke effects. The vintage was compact, marked by a large amount of hen and chicken, reducing yields by 30–50%. Fermenting wines displayed intense flavors with assertive natural acidity.

Vinification

Handpicked on February 24 in the cool morning, Chardonnay grapes were delivered directly to the winery. Whole bunch pressing extracted the pure free-run portion of 550L/t. After a 6-hour settling in the tank, the juice was racked into barrels—228L Barriques and 300L stainless steel Hogsheads. Fermentation took place with a cultured chardonnay-specific yeast for enhanced varietal characters, and the balance underwent wild fermentation for complexity. The wines sat in barrel on lees for an additional 9 months, completing Malo-Lactic fermentation. The final blend, composed of 6% new oak to 94% seasoned, matured for 9 months. Subsequently, the base wine underwent tirage, followed by secondary fermentation in the bottle and 30 months of lees aging for complexity, before disgorging with a dosage of 3.0g/L.

Technical

Clone: G9V7 | B277 • Alcohol: 12.5% • Residual Sugar: 3.0 g/L • Total Acidity: 7.68 g/L • pH: 3.20 • Altitude: 450m • Slope: South-facing • Vegan: Yes • Contains sulphites

Grape Variety

100% Chardonnay

Food Match

Freshly shucked oysters

Production

3,228 Bottles

Winemaker

The Lane Vineyard

Best Drinking

Cellar up to 10 years

Size

750ml