What is Gertie?
Gertie is a means to make wine I love to drink! Stylistically there are no limits.
The intention is to produce delicious, drinkable wine.
Tasty Cabernet Franc from very special blocks in the Clare Valley. The downside to this is that there is very little Franc left in the Valley. On the upside you have made it here while there is still room on the Gertie Gallon allocation list.
This year I gave the ferment 3.5% whole bunch to add another layer of complexity to both the nose and palate. Down a touch from last year due to the fruit having a slightly longer ripening period. Due to the year, I also gave four weeks post-ferment skin maceration to help build structure and depth of flavour.
Although I don't hang my hat on the fact this wine has no adds except minimal sulphur just prior to bottling, I think it's worth a mention. Gertie is not filtered and may not be as crystal clear as some may be expecting!
The Vineyard
Located in the hill country of Clare we have 2 hectares of grapes with Riesling and Franc and a tiny patch of Grenache Gris.
We have chosen to do things a little differently. We have decided to farm using no synthetic chemicals as we wholeheartedly believe it not only can be done, but it grows vines with resilience and results in fresher more vibrant wine.
We use compost tea made from compost that was made from our block to manage fungal pressure, we cane prune to manage air flow through the vines and we do all the work ourselves.
Although it’s not the most cost-effective or the most efficient way to run a vineyard, it brings a sense of peace and fulfilment to our family that is difficult to explain.
The Farm
Discovered by accident on the back roads, I felt an immediate connection to this block. I knew without any doubt that one day it was going to be part of my life.
After 18 months of detouring past there, I finally saw an aged man pruning. His name is Leo.
The stone cottage, his home, and the block had been in his family since it was built in the 1860s. He was delighted that he found new custodians in us.
We are currently restoring the once dilapidated cottage, and it will be a family home once again.
We also saved some 1930s road workers huts and are in the process of renovating them as off-grid B&Bs - watch this space if you are looking to visit Clare.
