CRFT 2022 Mencía – The Rohrlach Vineyard (organic)

WILLIAMSTOWN - BAROSSA VALLEY


The Wine
Organically grown and made (uncertified), this is the first release of our new Rohrlach Vineyard Mencía.
A vibrant, fresh, early-drinking style, this wine is all about the fruit.

Strawberry, raspberry and pomegranate on the nose, with fresh beetroot, cinnamon and liquorice. The palate is plush and round, loaded with juicy sweet fruit, it lingers with notes of vanilla and boysenberry.

Enjoy while young and fresh or within two years of release.
Best served cool at 14-16C or enjoy chilled from the fridge in warmer weather.
14.5% alc/vol

The Winemaking
Hand-made at CRFT certified organic winery in Carey Gully.
Hand-picked on the 4th and 6th April 2022.
Destemmed to an open-top tank for wild fermentation with around 2 weeks on skins.
Then pressed to oak for wild malolactic fermentation followed by maturation for 6 months with regular lees stirring.
100% French oak, all seasoned barriques 3yo+. Unfined and unfiltered.
Bottled October 2022. Vegan friendly.

The Vineyard
Our Rohrlach Mencía comes from the same vineyard as our Old Vine Rohrlach Shiraz. It’s located on the southern fringe of the Barossa Valley wine region, just a couple of kilometres from the boundary of the Adelaide Hills wine region.

The Rohrlach Vineyard has fully converted to organic and regenerative farming practices from 2021 with full Organic Certification to follow.

Vineyard: Owned and farmed by Matt Rohrlach with his parents, Dennis and Carolyn
Location: Williamstown – Peramangk Country – Barossa Valley
Map: 34°41'12.4"S 138°53'58.0"E
Elevation: 320m
Planted: 2019 & 2020
Soil: Dark loam and dense clay scattered with Mica and fool’s gold, making the soil sparkle in the sunlight.

SOLD OUT - CRFT 2022 Chardonnay – The Lansdowne Vineyard (organic)

FORRESTON – ADELAIDE HILLS

The Wine
This is the first release of our new Chardonnay from the organically farmed Lansdowne Vineyard in Forreston.

The nose has summer fruits of yellow nectarine, apricot and fresh white pear with orange blossom, nutmeg and cashews. The palate is zingy with shortbread biscuits, butterscotch and soft powdery tannins.

Organically grown and made (uncertified)

Drink 2022 to 2027+

Serve 9-11C, cooler in warm weather

12.5% alc/vol

The Winemaking
Hand-made at CRFT certified organic winery in Carey Gully.

Hand-picked on 19th March then whole-bunch pressed to tank.

Wild fermented in tank for a few days then transferred to oak for full solids, wild barrel ferment. 100% French oak, 20% new.

Partial wild MLF with regular lees stirring. 6 months in oak.

100% natural acidity. Unfined and lightly filtered.

Bottled October 2022. Vegan friendly.

The Vineyard
The Lansdowne Vineyard has been organically grown since 2018 with a commitment to regenerative agriculture.
Vineyard: Owned and farmed by Brendan Cameron, the vineyard takes the name of the property it’s grown on - Lansdowne.
Location: Forreston – Peramangk Country – Adelaide Hills
Altitude: 350m
Aspect: North-West to South
Planted: 2006
Map: 34°48'14.1"S 138°53'53.0"E
Soil: Black, self-mulching river silt, through to free-draining red-brown loams.

SOLD OUT - CRFT 2022 Grüner Veltliner – The Longview Vineyard

MACCLESFIELD – ADELAIDE HILLS

The Wine
The 2022 Longview Grüner is fresh and bright with apple, passionfruit and lime cordial. The palate is creamy with celery, pear and grapefruit, tannins a plenty.

Drink 2022 to 2028, possibly beyond.
Serve 9-11C, cooler in warm weather
13.5% alc/vol
Vegan Friendly

Winemaking
Hand-made at CRFT winery in Carey Gully.
100% Macclesfield Grüner Veltliner hand-picked on March 15.
Half the batch was whole-bunch pressed; the remaining fruit was destemmed, followed by 24 hours of skin contact before pressing.
Both batches were then blended in tank to begin full solids wild ferment. Partway through fermentation half of the batch was transferred into oak for wild fermentation in older seasoned (neutral) French barriques. The balance was wild fermented on full solids in tank.
100% wild yeast ferment. Full wild MLF. Occasional lees stirring. 12 weeks in oak.
Bottled July 2022.

Longview Vineyard
Vineyard: Owned and farmed by Peter and Mark Saturno with vineyard manager Chris Mein
Location: Macclesfield - Peramangk Country – Adelaide Hills
Elevation: 300 to 320m
Aspect: South facing steep slope
Planted: 2011
Clones: Iby, HHW1, HHW2
Map: -35.192097, 138.821556
Soil: Rocky, scattered with ironstone and quartz.
Fine silt and sandy loam topsoil, dense clay and loam subsoil

SOLD OUT - CRFT 2022 Grüner Veltliner – The Mt Bera Vineyard (organic)

CUDLEE CREEK – ADELAIDE HILLS

The Wine
This is our first release from the organically-farmed Mt Bera Vineyard at Cudlee Creek. The vineyard is currently in the organic conversion phase which comes before receiving full organic certification.
2022 was a challenging season at Mt Bera. The vineyard was hit by hail resulting in tiny yields, and because of this, we have an extremely limited 2022 release.

The nose shows citrus blossom, apple, peach and earthy parsnip. The palate has marmalade, pepper and fennel seed, it’s almost oily with a mouth-coating tannins.

Organically grown and made (uncertified)

Drink 2022 to 2030, possibly beyond.
Serving temp 9-11℃, cooler in warm weather.
Alcohol - 13.5% alc/vol
Vegan Friendly

Winemaking
Handmade at CRFT certified organic winery in Carey Gully.
100% certified ‘In Conversion’ organically grown Cudlee Creek Grüner handpicked on March 22.
Whole-bunch pressed to tank to begin fermentation then transferred into oak for wild fermentation on full solids. 100% older seasoned (neutral) French barriques.
100% wild yeast ferment. Full wild MLF. Occasional lees stirring. 12 weeks in oak.
Bottled July 2022.

Mt Bera Vineyard
Vineyard: Owned and farmed by Greg Horner.
Location: Cudlee Creek - Peramangk Country – Adelaide Hills
Elevation: 380 to 410 metres
Aspect: North North West
Planted: 2011
Clone: Iby, HHW1, HHW2
Map: -34.844650, 138.847464
Soil: Rich deep red clay loam soil high in iron, magnesium and manganese.

The Mt Bera Gruner vineyard has a three-sided cold-catchment with only drainage down to the Karrawirra Parri (Torrens) Gorge. This provides unique conditions producing a huge diurnal variation of 15-20C. These conditions favour notes of pepper and spice and higher natural acidity.

SOLD OUT - CRFT 2022 Grüner Veltliner – The K1 Vineyard

KUITPO – ADELAIDE HILLS

The Wine
The 10th release of our Kuitpo Grüner and our winemaking style has evolved over the past decade. In the early days we fermented in stainless steel tanks using commercial yeast, without solids, malo or oak. Now we wild ferment in tank and oak, leave wild MLF to take its own path and tinker less – it’s the textural style of Grüner that we love.

A nose of citrus and floral notes with honeydew melon and peach. The palate is textural with fine acid, white pepper, lime and pear.

Drink 2022 to 2030+
Serving temp 9-11℃, cooler in warm weather.
Alcohol - 13.5% alc/vol
Vegan Friendly

Winemaking
Handmade at CRFT winery in Carey Gully.
100% Kuitpo Grüner Veltliner harvested on 1 April, 2022.
Whole-bunch pressed to tank to begin full solids wild ferment.
Part way through ferment a third of the batch was transferred into oak for full solids wild fermentation in older seasoned (neutral) French barriques. The balance was wild fermented on full solids in tank.
100% wild yeast ferment. Partial wild MLF. Occasional lees stirring. Twelve weeks in oak.
Bottled July 2022.

K1 Vineyard
Vineyard: Owned and farmed by Geoff Hardy
Location: Kuitpo – Peramangk Country – Adelaide Hills
Elevation: 300 to 320m
Aspect: North West facing
Planted: 2008 (grafted)
Clone: Elite
Map: -35.226406,138.668736
Soil: Rocky, flinty ground with ironstone and sandstone, and orange clay loam.

SOLD OUT - CRFT 2022 Grüner Veltliner – The Arranmore Vineyard (NASAA Certified Organic)

CAREY GULLY – PICCADILLY VALLEY – ADELAIDE HILLS

The Wine
With only 8 rows of Grüner planted at our place, each vintage is produced in a very limited amount. The cold 2021 Spring caused late and extended flowering into December. This together with windy conditions resulted in hen and chicken throughout the crop, reducing the overall yield for 2022.

The nose has honeysuckle, white peach, white pear and bee’s wax. The palate shows wet slate minerality, nutmeg, textural layers and a nougat finish.

Drink 2022 to 2030+
Serve 9-11℃, cooler in warm weather
Alcohol - 13.5% alc/vol
Vegan Friendly

Winemaking
Hand-made at CRFT winery in Carey Gully.
100% NASAA Certified Organic Piccadilly Valley Grüner Veltliner.
Harvested 30th March 2022. Hand-picked.
Whole-bunch pressed to tank to begin wild fermentation, then transferred into older seasoned (neutral) French barriques for barrel fermentation on full solids.
100% wild yeast ferment. Full wild MLF. Occasional lees stirring. 12 weeks in oak.
Bottled July 2022.

Arranmore Vineyard
Estate-owned, managed and farmed, the 5-acre Arranmore Vineyard has been farmed organically since Frewin & Candice took ownership in January 2016.
NASAA Certified Organic since February 2019.

Location: Carey Gully – Peramangk Country – Adelaide Hills
Elevation: 550 meters
Aspect: East facing
Planted: Grafted on 22yo Sauvignon Blanc vines, winter 2017. Cuttings from Geoff Hardy’s K1 vineyard Grüner.
Clone: Elite
Map: -34.969564, 138.760102
Soil: Dark loam topsoil over clay subsoil, with shale and ironstone bedrock.

SOLD OUT - CRFT 2021 Shiraz – The Rohrlach Vineyard (old vine)

WILLIAMSTOWN – BAROSSA VALLEY

Reviews
91 POINTS - JENI PORT (HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION)
Destemmed fruit, fermented wild; matured 10 months in French oak (20% new). Old vines, planted 1972, are the basis for this smart young shiraz. Solid Barossa credentials here in inky, dark hues and boldness of cassis, blackberry, cinnamon, clove, anise and smokey cigar-box oak. Tannins are firm and ripe, A bold presence in the glass.

Old Vine Shiraz
Planted in 1972, these vines are officially classified as Barossa Old Vines under the charter rules. That classification is for vines 35 years or older – “Their worthiness has been proven over many vintages, consistently producing the highest quality fruit for Barossa Wines of distinction and longevity”.

The Wine
An intense and lifted wine with red fruits, violets and liquorice. The palate is medium bodied with black pepper and warm spice. Vibrant and youthful at release, it will develop further complexity with careful cellaring.
Benefits from a little time to breathe upon opening.
Drink at release or cellar 5-10 years, possibly beyond.
Suggested serving temperature 16-18C

The Winemaking
Harvested 26th February 2021.
Hand-made at CRFT Carey Gully winery.
100% Barossa Valley Shiraz, hand-picked.
The grapes were destemmed to an open-top tank for wild fermentation with a gentle hand plunge two to three times daily during active fermentation. Towards the end of primary fermentation, the wine was pressed to oak for barrel fermentation.
10 months in oak with wild malolactic fermentation followed by maturation.
100% French oak, 20% new, 20% 1 year old, 60% older oak.
Alcohol- 14.0% alc/vol
Bottled 24th January 2022. Vegan friendly.

The Vineyard
Owned and grown by Dennis and Carolyn Rohrlach with their son Matt, just out of Williamstown (Barossa Valley).

The Rohrlach Vineyard sits on the southern fringe of the Barossa Valley wine region, just a couple kilometers from the boundary of the Adelaide Hills wine region.

Elevation: 320m
Planted: 1972
Map: -34.475005,139.071367
Soil: Rich clay soil scattered with Mica and fool’s gold which makes the soil sparkle in the sunlight.