The 2014 vintage began with the winery coming alive to the fragrant aromas of fermentation. But what a year we had! This year, the moon cycles put Easter quite late in the season, so the expectation of a late harvest prevailed...until South Australia experienced its record number of heat days over 40C in January, culminating in the worst bushfire in Eden Valley in living memory. This taste of hell ended in the wettest February in 44 years - all in 48 hours, when we received between 115 and 150mm of rain. Fortunately, Eden Valley and the Adelaide Hills were still in veraison, which allowed the quenching rain to rebalance the fruit, particularly in the older dry-grown vineyards. The yields appeared depressingly minuscule, due to a severe black frost in spring and cold windy weather during flowering in early December. Early picks of semillon and shiraz after the heat wave were in response to vine stress. The change to mild autumnal weather in late February after the rains allowed for a focus on other early vintage varieties, riesling in Eden Valley and pinot noir at Lenswood. Mild weather with cold dewy mornings and windy days prevailed. Disease pressure increased as March became colder and wetter, which seemed to change to a winter pattern after the solstice.

Lifted, fragrant aromas of lemon and grapefruit citrus, gooseberry, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaf, with supporting notes of stone-fruit, white flowers and citrus blossom.

The delicate, yet generous front palate shows citrus, stone-fruit and gooseberry flavours, with zesty minerality and texture, crisp acidity and excellent length.

Pale straw with lime hues.

BAKED WHOLE BABY BARRAMUNDI, OYSTER SAUCE, GARLIC, GINGER & SPRING ONION |

***Ingredients***:

- 4 Whole barramundi, scaled and scored a couple of times on each side
- 1 Clove Garlic, Thinly sliced
- 2 Spring Onion,Finely Sliced
- 1 Thumb of Ginger, Finely cut into small match stick size
- 1 Large Red Chilli, De-seeded and finely sliced
- 2 Shallots, Peeled and sliced
- 1 Bunch Coriander w roots, Pick the leaves and set aside, wash the roots and stems
- 1 Bunch Mint, Leaves Picked
- ½ cup Oyster Sauce
- 1 cup Peanut Oil
- Ground White Pepper
- Sea Salt

***Method***:

1. Rip off enough tin foil to fully cover each fish and place flat on the bench. Rip off some baking paper slightly smaller than the foil so it fits in the foil when wrapped.
2. Place the fish in the middle of the paper. Season the inside with salt and pepper.
3. Place the sliced shallots in the cavity along with the coriander roots.
4. Rub the oyster sauce all over fish including the underside.
5. Wrap the fish up, making sure there are no gaps in the foil. Allow some space so the parcel can fill up with steam when cooking.
6. Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
7. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius or similar temperature in the Webber for abut 35 minutes.
8. Meanwhile mix the aromatics in a bowl, spring onion, garlic, ginger and red chilli.
9. Heat the peanut oil until it starts to smoke slightly or approximately 210 degrees Celsius.
10. When the fish is ready, take out of the packet and onto a platter.
11. Place the aromatics on top as even and as thin a layer as possible.
12. Slowly spoon the hot oil on the aromatics until it starts to crackle and cook slightly and give off some nice aromas.
13. Garnish with the picked coriander and mint and serve with steamed Jasmine rice.

***Serves 4.***

Fermented in tank and bottled post-vintage to preserve the aromatic fruit characters.

It was indeed a late vintage and also resulted in one of our longest vintages. The picking of Eden Valley cabernet and Lenswood merlot brought the season to a close at the beginning of May, where skilled vineyard teams played a critical role by hand selecting and picking the best quality fruit during the onset of rain and cold wintery weather. In summary, a challenging season with good quality but very low yields.