Farming : Organic | Biodynamic

Winemaking : Hand-Picked Grapes | Native Yeast | Unfined | Unfiltered | Vegan

Region : Barossa Valley, South Australia

Grape : Trousseau

Alcohol by Volume : 13%

Notes:

A further extension into the fresh young red space from our Joven starting point, Pimpernel takes us where angels fear to tread. Suzi especially wanted to explore a whole bunch fermented reductive style and Trousseau is the perfect vehicle. Just a minimal SO2 add and bottled en casa this is natural wine in anyone’s language. Previously we have used the old vine Trousseau/Bastardo in our Joven blend and I have seen it as dark fruits, Mulberry, Blackberry but in this wine it seems to me more red fruited and rhubarby, nice herbal from the whole bunch and fitting the brief of juicy, smashable, complex and interesting. Palate: Light and bright, some nice stalky tannin.

Smallfry wines is a partnership in business and life between Suzi Hilder and Wayne Ahrens. We are viticulturists bitten by the winemaking bug, the chance to turn our own fruit into wine is too good to pass up. That we are also foodies drives our winemaking down a certain path. Natural ferments, nil to minimal adjustment, old oak a soft hand in the cellar allows the vineyard to speak. The style is food friendly, Euro style, with a eye to balance and subtlety.

The essential component is great fruit, we are lucky enough to own two very special vineyards, one in Eden Valley and the other in Vine Vale in the valley floor. The Eden Valley vineyard has been established by us since 1994, while the Vine Vale block has been the Schlieb’s family seat for generations, with the last incumbent putting in 52 vintages before hanging up his snips.

I believe that when we look back on the last few years from some vantage point in the future, we will see that this is a time of great creativity, the emerging young turks will become the seasoned campaigners of the future. The Barossa is in good hands and we want to be a part of that.

As we go forward we hope to develop a brand we can be proud of. A business that takes its part in the fabric of the local community. Supports the Barossa and gives its customers something unique. Gives back to the traditions as we have benefited from them.