In 2018, 'The Fruitful Pursuit', compiled Australia’s largest-ever showcase of orange, amber and skin-contact white wines. The collection was opened during an interactive, two-day tasting event in Adelaide known as ‘Not Quite White’.  From all over Australia, 46 of the best wines of this genre were invited to enter.  The wines were judged by 266 consumer voters to determine the best, yummiest, most likable ‘Not Quite White’ there is… and we were humbled when the voters awarded our 2017 Kalleske Plenarius Viognier 1st place!!
 
Winning the top orange/amber/skin contact wine award was a great thrill and very fitting considering we were one of the first producers to make this style in Australia. 
ree wines available to order...

This new 2018 release of Plenarius is again made in the same way as previous vintages.  Certified organic and biodynamic Viognier grapes destemmed to an open top fermenter – skins, seeds and juice together.  Wild yeast fermentation with hand-pumpovers, treated like a red wine.  Then after 8 days on skins filled to barrel for 10 months maturation prior to bottling with absolutely no additions, 100% grapes in the bottle.   

2018 Kalleske Plenarius

GROWING SEASON

The 2018 vintage was superb. Winter was slightly wetter than average getting the vines off to a brilliant start leading them into Spring which was warmer and drier than average. Rain in early December refreshed the vines and ensured they remained strong and healthy for the overall dry and hot Summer. Autumn also remained dry with perfect Autumnal temperatures leading into harvest. The 2018 yields are good and the quality is excellent, a classic Barossa vintage.

VINEYARD

Plenarius is from a single vineyard of Viognier on the Kalleske property at Moppa. The vines are low yielding and soil is shallow sand with clay subsoil.

WINEMAKING

The grapes were harvested in the cool of the night on March 15th. They were then destemmed to an open top fermenter. It was treated like a red wine with hand pump-overs morning and night to circulate the fermenting juice through the skins extracting flavour and subtle tannin. The must was entirely wild fermented with absolutely no additions. The wine was on skins for 8 days with ferment temperatures ranging from 17 to 28 degrees Celsius. At dryness the must was drained and the wine was filled to seasoned French oak hogsheads. It underwent natural malolactic fermentation in barrel and was matured for 10 months on lees prior to racking for bottling with zero additions, bottling as 100% grapes.

TASTING NOTES

Plenarius is an attractive light amber colour with a golden tint. The aromatics are lively. Very extroverted, it is bursting forth with honey, lemon, flowers, spice and fresh hops. The palate is engaging with initial flavours of marmalade and gingerbread. It then evolves into fresh cut red apple with some tart natural acidity providing freshness. Emerging next is a rounded texture, almost waxy mouthfeel followed by some light phenolic grip. The long finish neatly winds all the previous components together to give an evocative complexity to a captivating and satisfying wine. 

Plénárius: full; complete; entire; absolute “Nothing added; nothing taken away”

ingredients: 100% certified biodynamic grapes. single vineyard viognier grapes wild fermented on skins for 8 days. matured in hogsheads for 10 months. bottled unfined & unfiltered. naturally cloudy. naturally amber in colour. no added sulphites.

(SKU: KA_PLN_18)