Greenstone Vineyards 'Gimme Some Skin' Viognier 2021
Greenstone Vineyards was established in 2003 as a 40 hectare property near the town of Colbinabbin in the renowned Heathcote region of Victoria by global industry leaders David Gleave MW (Master of Wine), Alberto Antonini & renowned Australian viticulturist Mark Walpole.
Lying just north of the Great Dividing Range, at an altitude of around 200 metres, the vineyard was planted on a ridge of old Cambrian soil that runs through the eastern side of the range. This narrow strip is unique, not only to vine growing in Victoria, but in Australia. The soils are the oldest known in the country, originating over 550 million years ago. Most soils of volcanic origin in Australia are young and highly acidic whereas these ancient Cambrian soils are near neutral in pH. The range itself is a result of a rift in the sea floor, from which molten rock arose, encapsulating limestone into the lava. The resulting soil is deep, red-coloured, mottled with lime. It is from these soils that the vineyard name is derived from - Heathcote ‘Greenstone’ is a form of copper-infused basalt and is an integral part of the soil.
With a change of ownership in early 2015, the success of Greenstone’s Heathcote wines led the team to explore opportunities and expand their repertoire. Upholding the requirement to find the best locations for each varietal the search led to the Yarra Valley and acquisition of the Sticks Winery & vineyards in Yarra Glen later in 2015. Originally established as Yarra Ridge in 1983 by Melbourne Lawyer Louis Bialkower (a close friend and colleague of Australian wine legend James Halliday who assisted in the planting of the vineyard) on 33 hectares at the base of the Christmas Hills, the vineyard quickly gained recognition as a prime site for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. These 3 varietals, along with Sauvignon Blanc, were the first to be planted in 1983 with the addition of small parcels of Viognier and Petit Verdot following. The gently sloping and undulating land of this “Yarra Floor” vineyard is moderately warmer than its Upper Yarra counterparts.
This 2021 'Gimme Some Skin' is a fun wine made with Viognier grapes picked at different stages - half of the block from the Yarra Valley vineyard was picked early, when sugar levels were low but natural acidity was high. This batch was made conventionally; pressed to tank for cool fermentation to retain freshness and a racy, natural acidity. The other half of the block was picked later with lots of apricot flavors, left on skins for 48 hours then pressed to tank for fermentation. The two batches were combined then matured in old oak barrels for 6 months to clean up some of the aromatics and for better integration of tannin.
By combining the two picks, Greenstone Vineyards feels they have the best of both worlds: beautifully clean and pristine Viognier aromatics of orchard fruits & ginger, together with savory, moreish phenolics and a fine acid backbone avoiding any of the heavy, oily warmth that can be the bane of this variety.
