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ACellars Newsletter 26th May, 2022 - Dormilona Clayface Tasting + Muchada Léclapart + This Week's Staff Pick!

by Annandale Cellars

Dormilona Clayface Release

In-Store Tasting

This Saturday, May 28th

3pm - 6pm

 

Josephine Perry is anything but a lazybones.

Starting vintage work at Cape Mentelle at the tender young age of fourteen, Jo studied winemaking by distance, whilst gaining plenty of new and old world experience with vintages in the Rhône Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Spain, New Zealand, California, Orange and of course the Margaret River. As if this extensive list was not enough, Jo has managed winemaking operations in Galicia, as well as consulting in the Canary Islands.

As the Galicians and Canarians would attest from these times,

"Jo no es una dormilona". / "Jo is not a sleepyhead".

But her winemaking style sure is.

Dormilona takes its Spanish name from the lazybones approach, or minimal intervention. Natural ferments, no additions, no fining, no filtration, just a tiny addition of sulfur to keep consistency across the bottles. Laying some of the whites to rest on their skins, Jo uses either steel or neutral oak to truly let the vineyard and the vintage speak through her wines.

The Margaret River fruit is all hand-harvested from vineyards farmed under organic and/or biodynamic principles, with the Chardonnay coming from Wallcliffe, and the Cabernet from Yallingup. The artwork on the labels depicts the soils that make up the Margaret River; whilst the name Yallingup means "place of caves" in the local Wardandi language, it could also mean "place of love", and either translation seems an appropriate expression of the terroir.

Perhaps an even purer expression of her labour of love is Jo's amphora project: Clayface. The Clayface collection are each raised in handmade Italian terracotta pots, and result in complex, layered and mineral wines of poise and elegance.

Join us this Saturday in-store as we taste the Clayface Chardonnay and the Clayface Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

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Muchada Léclapart

 

Alejandro Muchada was an architect from the Andalusian province of Cádiz. A change of scenery saw him travel in 2011 to Champagne to do vintage with David Léclapart, and over the next few years, the Muchada-Léclapart project was born.

The aim of the pair is to create a great white of El Marco de Jerez (Sherry country). Topped up, ie without the flor yeasts and oxidised style for which the region is famed, and without fortification; just pure expression of Palomino from the 60 - 90 year old Miraflores pago vines, with one plot dedicated to Moscatel.

Palomino, a prolific workhorse grape for Sherry production, as a table wine has a reputation for being neutral. However Muchada argues that any grape grown at high yields can result in neutral wines. Muchada's yields are 30% of his neighbours, and the farming is biodynamic. The soils are kept chemical-free, and horses are used to work the top soil only, leaving the microbiome of the deeper layers undisturbed.

Besides topping up to avoid the famous Jerez flor, the winemaking is also aimed at keeping the wines undisturbed. Fermentation is spontaneous and the ferments are aged in used Bordeaux barrels on their lees.

With white floral notes, citrus and minerality, there is a certain Jurassien air to these wines. Find some tapas and enjoy.

Salud! 

 

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Staff Pick

Prunotto Barbera d'Alba 2020

 

Barbera is the high acid, low tannin variety from Piedmont in Italy. Prunotto's expression is more round and supple than others, which makes for great early consumption. It's also exceptionally priced. Easy drinking and pairs well with a plethora of dishes, including BBQ'd meats and vegetables or your favourite roast. - Chris L

 

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