Tasting Notes for Kalleske Elenore Semillon 2022 from the Winery

2022 Elenore Semillon is brilliant light gold in colour with a green edge.

The aromas are vivid, inviting, and complex. Classis varietal Semillon notes of fresh hay, white peach, and lime, together with roasted nuts, flint, and a touch of garden earth.

It has a mid-weight palate with initial fresh juicy citrus, namely grapefruit. This evolves into multiple facets displaying slate, yeasty bread, and marzipan, with the bright citrus underpinning it all. An inkling of light phenolics adds a textural dimension followed by subtle creaminess, further enhancing the intrigue and beguiling nature of this wine. It finishes long and clean with bright acidity, completing a wine with all elements in perfect balance. Elenore is a generously flavoured old vine Barossa Semillon that can be enjoyed now or over the next five to ten years.

Semillon

This single vineyard Semillon is from one of the oldest surviving Semillon vineyards in the Barossa, planted on the Kalleske property in 1980.  Grapes from these old low-yielding vines were native yeast fermented and matured in a trio of vessels; French barrels for oak richness, concrete egg tank adding complexity and stainless tank providing freshness. The wine gains its name from Johanne ‘Elenore’ Kalleske, daughter of Eduard & Rosina, born on the Kalleske farm in 1865. Elenore is a genuine hand crafted wine that’s been grown, vintaged and matured on our Kalleske estate at Greenock in the North-Western Barossa.

Growing Season 

The 2022 vintage was excellent.  Winter was significantly wetter than average getting the vines off to a brilliant start leading into Spring which was cool with median rainfall.  Summer was mild and dry apart from rain on the last day.  Autumn remained mild with generally perfect mid-20s weather combined with cool nights ensuring steady even ripening across all varieties.  The 2022 yields were good and the quality is great, a classic Barossa vintage displaying rich flavours with fine balance.     

Winemaking

The grapes were harvested on March 3^rd.  They were then pressed and the juice was briefly settled prior to racking to fermentation.  The juice was entirely wild fermented with native yeast and portions of the ferment were undertaken in new French oak hogsheads, concrete egg tank and stainless steel tank.  Partial lees stirring was employed post fermentation for added texture and complexity.  After six months maturation in these vessels, the wine was blended and bottled

Vineyard

Elenore is from a single vineyard of Semillon on the Kalleske property that was planted in 1980. The old vines are low yielding and soil is shallow sand with clay subsoil.

(SKU: KA_Sem_CV)