Cri de Coeur Savagnin 2017, Crittenden Estate, Mornington Peninsula

This wine displays many of the desired nutty aldehyde (almost sherry like) characters expected after prolonged ageing under flor. A complex array of flavours, amongst them preserved lemon, grilled nuts & exotic spice. A palate of tremendous breadth and length with mouth filling chalky texture and persistent acid drive.

Garry Crittenden was the first vintner to see the potential of the Mornington Peninsula as a thriving wine region. His first modest five acres more than doubled the area under vine in the region and since those first plantings in 1982, his commitment to the region has seen the Mornington Peninsula flourish to world recognition.

Garry was also the first winemaker in Australia to commercialise Italian wine varieties. Throughout his time on the Peninsula, he’s introduced new grape varietals such as Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Sangiovese to Victoria and Australia.

The second Crittenden generation, siblings Rollo and Zoe, both grew up among the family’s vines. These days they have embraced and taken on the family business with Rollo controlling the winemaking and general management and Zoe taking care of all of the marketing, allowing their father Garry to move into (semi!) retirement.

Defying convention and inspired by the great Vin Jaune wines of the Jura region in France, this wine was whole bunched pressed to old French barriques before natural fermentation and malolactic conversion. Following fermentation, the barrels were moved to a well ventilated shed (away from the winery proper) where conditions were perfect for the gradual growth of the flor yeast on the surface of the increasingly ullaged barrels.