Vintage Notes
The 2016 Tapanappa Riesling is the only Tapanappa wine made from a vineyard that is not owned and managed by Tapanappa.
The Bartholomeus Vineyard in Eden Valley was planted in the 1960’s on the granitic slopes, 450m ASL to the west of Eden Valley township. The nearest and most analogous weather station is at Mount Crawford, at 525m ASL, 13 kilometres southwest of Eden Valley with a heat summation of 1575°C days. Incredibly, in 2016 the heat summation at Mount Crawford reached 2002°C days (Mildura like summation) and, as with all Tapanappa vineyard sites, the 2016 growing season proved to be the warmest on record by a large margin, (since 1947 at least).
Most of the heat accumulated above the long-term average was due to the very warm spring months to the end of December and because of warm nights throughout. There were no prolonged heat waves before veraison and no heat waves at all after veraison.
The 2016 vintage was very dry and Mount Crawford received just 59% of its average rainfall over the growing season. The Bartholomeus Riesling grapes were the last harvested Tapanappa white grapes of the 2016 vintage on the 31st of March. Tapanappa 2016 Eden Valley Riesling is a dry, late harvest Riesling. The harvest analysis of the Tapanappa 2016 Eden Valley Riesling was 23.5 Brix, total acid 7.3gpl and pH 2.9.
Winemaking Notes
Tapanappa 2016 Eden Valley Riesling is the second wine made for Tapanappa by Con Moshos, using the techniques honed at Petaluma as we worked together over the decades of the late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
Con selected the Bartholomeus Vineyard for this wine based on his experience at Mount Adam through the 10 years from 2005. Eden Valley Riesling also closes the circle for me as the last time I harvested Riesling from this wonderful cool region was in 1975, when I made the legendary 1975 Siegersdorf Riesling for Thomas Hardy and Sons.
The very ripe Riesling grapes were hand harvested and destemmed, crushed and chilled to 2°C to the Willmes Merlin press. Con insisted on adding a small amount of sulphur at the crusher and adding back by hand a proportion of the separated stalks to the cold must in the press.
Only the free run juice and the very light first pressing were collected and settled to clarity over a week before fermentation was initiated. Fermentation with one of Tapanappa’s own yeast strains was slow and cool and dryness was achieved after 3 months.
The finished wine was chilled to -2°C and allowed to settle to clarity before bottling in November 2016.
The post bottling analysis of 2016 Eden Valley Riesling is
| Alcohol | 12.7% |
| pH | 2.9 |
| Total Acid | 7.09gpl |
| Residual Sugar | 2gpl |
The Taste of the Wine
Tapanappa 2016 Eden Valley Riesling is a true dry late pick Riesling style from a very warm vintage. While it has the floral rose petal and faint daisy aromas typical of Eden Valley Riesling it is fuller bodied and textured than normal, a reflection of the vintage.
The Tapanappa 2016 Eden Valley Riesling is an unusual wine because of the vintage but “it is a true reflection of this unique vineyard terroir”.
