1277

It was harvested at different stages of ripening and fermented and matured in different ways. One part was macerated at 5°C for 24 hours after berrying, then pressed and fermented at 10-15°C after must settling. The other part was fermented on the skins in steel tanks. After fermentation, it was partially matured on fine lees for 8 months in 500 litre French barrels and steel tanks.

In 2023, our hill once again showed how complex and sophisticated 1277 Rajnai Rizling can be. Learning from the previous vintage and seeing what value our Bishop’s Hill can deliver, we have changed a step or two from the first vintage. We handpicked the fully ripened clusters and berries, then fermented them in steel tanks at a slow low temperature after gentle pressing. The fermented wine was matured on fine lees in steel tanks for 10 months instead of 5 months. The lees were continuously stirred on a weekly basis to further enhance the flavours of the volcanic terroir of Bishop’s Hill. The new vintage is dominated by ripe apricot on the nose, with coriander on the finish and minty, salty, creamy, citrus notes on the palate.