2023 Little Reddie Riesling
WINEMAKER: Pat Underwood
REGION: Heathcote, VIC
VARIETY: Riesling
VITICULTURE: Organic/Sustainable
"I have made various wines from this block of grapes in the past—often skin-contact or blended whites. This wine is what I would call inspired by Serenity Holmes, who worked with us during the 2022 harvest, and who has a fabulous passion for the variety. Serenity now works at Dönnhoff in the Nahe. Fortunately, Serenity was in town the day we harvested the Riesling and thus made some captain's calls while processing the fruit. Picked at true flavour ripeness, showing beautiful stone fruits and ripe citrus on the vine. Gently whole bunch pressed and settled thoroughly prior to fermentation in a mixture of Stokinger 600L cask and stainless steel. The wine was gently encouraged with oxygen during fermentation, which slowed as winter set in. An extended élevage on full lees through until late February 2024, before a rest in stainless prior to bottling. The wine has seen plenty of sulphur and was sterile filtered." - Pat
A love of coffee led me to wine. In 2011 while working behind the bar in Castlemaine, my colleague and friend Jarad Curwood (Chapter Wine) nurtured the coffee, beer and then wine passion. Jarad allowed me to pick some grapes from the vineyard he farmed. I fermented this fruit, 2012 Metcalfe Shiraz, in my dad’s backyard. It was a rustic wine and caught the name Little Reddie, owing to the miniature barrel (resized to hold the miniature volume), and as an ode to the drought hardy, introduced fish we were catching in the local waters.
Since then I have studied in my own way. I worked for several years at City Wine Shop on Spring St, being educated thoughtfully by brilliant mentors. Victorian harvest experiences at Bannockburn (2013) and Gembrook Hill (2014) were extremely inspiring and nurturing.
I travelled well through Chianti, the Mosel, Burgundy and the Northern Rhone in 2013 following up with three harvests 2016 - 2018 with Olek Bondonio in Barbaresco. Olek and Ali welcomed me into their family. I will never be far from a return to them. Nebbiolo remains, perhaps, my deepest vinous love.