2018 Mabel's VCR - Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling

Mabel's VCR - Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling is named for Sue-Ann's Great-Great-Aunt Mabel. Prior to Sue-Ann's arrival in the world, Mabel Staff was the last female born in the Staff family in 87 years. This wine is made from the last Viognier grown on the estate...so this wine is all about "the last". 

BRONZE MEDAL, 2020 DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS

Vinification: Mabel's VCR is a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay and Riesling. We picked the fruit by machine and sorted it useing an "optical sorter" which removes inferior berries. Sue-Ann vinified each varietal differently (different temperatures, yeasts, batonnage, etc.) and kept the wines separate for as long as possible through the cellaring process.

• We fermented and aged the Viognier in recoopered/re-toasted French oak barriques for 11 months
• We fermented the Chardonnay in new Hungarian oak and aged it on lees for 11 months.
• In contrast, the we fermented and aged the Riesling in stainless steel with fine lees contact.

We assembled and stabilized the final blend (50% Viognier,35% Chardonnay and 15% Riesling) just before bottling in September 2019. 

Tasting notes: Aromatics of lemon oil, white flowers, and vanilla with an undertones of nuttiness lift from the glass. Dry, bright, medium bodied with buttered toast and tropical sensations of papaya and guava plus lemon citrus follow through on the palate. Complex and evolving. A lengthy and complex palate keeps the mouthwatering for more.

Serving suggestions: This wine is drinking wonderfully now and will benefit from an additional 3 years of aging. Serve at cellar temperature (55˚F) or just below. Due to the wine’s complexity, our VCR pairs best with intricate food like pasta carbonara, veal Parmigiana, pork with a burnt butter sage sauce, medium hard cheeses, Caesar salad loaded with anchovies, sardines, full flavored egg frittata, etc.

Harvest Date Various Dates in 2018

Blend 50% Viognier, 35% Chard, 15% Riesling

Alcohol 13.5 %

Residual Sugar 7.1 g/L

Titratable Acidity 7.8 g/L

pH 3.2

Cases Produced 150 cases

Bold ripe yellow fruit aromas with hints of tropical fruit on a powerful lactic palate. Searing lime acidity, too. Decanter World Wine Awards 2020

Appearance: Straw colour with a greenish tint.
Nose: Apple and peach nose with a honeyed note.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dry, green apple and green peach flavours carried on lively acidity.
Quality: Very Good+. Drink now and through 2022.
Critic Rating: 88 points – Tony Aspler