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Analysis

Alcohol 11.86%

Total acidity 5.2 g/l

pH 3.40

Sugar < 1.0 g/l

Total dry extract 15.9 g/l

Free sulphur dioxide 27 mg/l

Total sulphur dioxide 93 mg/l

Copper  <0.10 mg/l

Iron 0.22 mg/l

Volatile acidity 0.36 g/l

Yeasts, bacteria, moulds: nil

Protein stability: stable

Chill stability: stable

Independent post-bottling analysis by Campden BRI Ltd, Coopers Hill Rd, Nutfield, Surrey RH1 4HY, conducted 23 Apr 2019

Grape variety:  Madeleine Angevine (100%)

Quality status:  English Wine PDO - Protected Designation of Origin (Certificate ref: STPDO 20671)

Barrel maturation, Seguin Moreau "Fraîcheur" barrique : Mar 2018 - Mar 2019.  

Bottled: 13 Mar 2019: 410g 75cl dark green Bordeaux bottles sealed with best quality cork. Label FSC certified Tintoretto paper. 290 bottles made.

Release Date:  29 Jun 2019

Grape source:   Oatley Vineyard, Cannington, Somerset. Vineyard parcels: Madeleine upper block, Madeleine lower block, planted 1987, trained on 90 cm-high originally spur-pruned cordons,  converted to double guyot in 2015.

Awards:  

Wine GB West 2019

Fraîcheur 17: Gold, Trophy:   “Pale lemon-yellow colour, fruit salad with peach and pear dominant, gentle vanilla wood flavour, nicely integrated, light body with crisp acidity, good definition and length.  A lovely wine!”

Growing Season:

Budburst in 2017 was unusually early after a mild winter. There was a spring frost on 27th April but it was thankfully slight (-1C for an hour) and although we lost a few buds in the bottom corner of the Madeleine Angevine the effect on the yield was not significant. The fruit-set was early, quick and even because of the early start plus a hot spell at the end of June and start of July at flowering.  It was our earliest harvest ever (though the next, 2018, harvest was one day earier still), and even so the grapes were riper than we normally pick the Madeleine. We aim to harvest slightly green to give a fresher wine.

Viticulture

Grown on sustainable principles, no herbicides or insecticides, only our own farmyard manure, hay mulch and chipped hedge-trimming fertiliser. Fungicides applied early season preventively using ICM principles to minimise their use. highly biodiverse environment, hand tended and picked, with minimal soil compaction.

Harvest:

17th Sep 2017. Grapes pictured above, were in excellent condition Weather mainly dry, sunny and warm. The odd light shower was forecast but didn’t materialise, 19C max. We put a marquee over the trailer to ensure the grapes stayed dry and out of the sun. Grapes, clean, exceptional condition, no wasp, little bird damage, no disease.

Jane's blogpost about the harvest day here >> , photo gallery here>>

Crushing/pressing: 18 Sep 2017. Free-run juice: sugar 76 Oechsle, acid 8.5 g/l acid.

Vinification: Winemaker: Steve Brooksbank, Bagborough Lane, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6SX. Madeleine Wine chaptalised to raise alcohol to 11.5%, vinified in stainless steel tanks, minimum intervention winemaking. Fermented out to full dryness.   Then matured on light lees in a Seguin Moreau "Fraîcheur" barrique - Allier forest oak staves, no toast (steam formed), acacia heads - for12 months. Not fined, mineral filter at bottling.