Flock Rosé

 

STORY
After the success of our first release, we have taken flight again with our second vintage of this wonderful wine, the 2022 Flock Rosé – a collaboration with Alkimi Wines. We handpicked the grapes in the Yarra Valley in April with our old buddy, Stuart Dudine.

Stuart started Alkimi in 2014. Prior to this, he worked in Europe and at top wineries in Australia – Henschke, Yarra Yering, Oakridge, and Mac Forbes. Stu is all about wild yeasts and minimal inputs to bring out the natural characters of the grapes and vintage. We were chasing a "provincial" feel, and we’re both really happy with the wine.

VINEYARD
A beautiful north-facing slope high up in the upper hills of the Yarra Valley. This beautiful site allows slow ripening thanks to the cool climate nature of the area, and the red, rich friable soil allows a roundness on the mid-palate.

WINEMAKING
Keeping with his style, Stuart keeps it all fairly simple in the winery. Like an artist who knows when to finish their masterpiece, Stuart knows the right times to work the grapes and the right times to do nothing. The handpicked grapes were brought back to the winery and were whole bunch-pressed to a mixture of stainless steel and old oak for fermentation. After completion of fermentation, the wine was allowed to mature on its solids (lees) for a further 6 months before being bottled.

TASTING NOTES
The appearance is a beautiful pale pink. There are voluptuous summer fruit aromas of ripe peach, crisp red apple, ruby grapefruit with stewed strawberries and cream. Some deeper varietal notes of white pepper and violets can also be enjoyed. The palate shows elegant light-to-medium-bodied textures which wash around the palate, giving lovely fruit sweetness, flavor, and complexity. Notes of Davidson’s plum, blueberries, strawberry with a Campari-esque edge combine with a yeasty creaminess that carries interest onto the soft, fruit-driven finish.

FOOD MATCH
Enjoy this wine with salmon steaks and some creamy mustard chive sauce with a side of steamed green vegetables. A lovely vegan match would be blistered tomatoes and basil on a bed of grilled polenta drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

TECHNICAL
12.5% Alc./Vol.
Total Sulphur: 70 mg/L
Total Acidity: 7.5 g/L
Residual sugar: <2.0 g/L