Today marked the first day of spring in the Yarra Valley and brought renewed excitement across both the vineyard and winery.
The previous day had already hinted at the season ahead. Despite sub-zero morning temperatures, clear skies settled over the winery and signalled the beginning of warmer weather.
Spring also marked an important milestone for the team with the release of our experimental Wayward Child wines.
Wayward Child Wine Release
Wayward Child is the experimental wine range from Helen & Joey Estate.
Beginning with the 2016 vintage, Helen and Joey encouraged the winemaking team to explore new ideas and move beyond traditional winemaking approaches. As a result, the range became a creative journey focused on texture, structure and individuality.
Wayward Child Pinot Gris
The Wayward Child Pinot Gris fully embraces its pink hue and firm phenolic texture.
We fermented the wine on full skins before allowing extended skin contact throughout the winemaking process. During ageing, the wine developed a layer of flor and continued evolving under oxidative conditions.
Although the process challenged us at times, it produced a wine with lifted aromatics, texture and impressive structure.
This Yarra Valley Pinot Gris pairs beautifully with food and continues to evolve after opening. For the best experience, revisit the wine the following day and watch the flavours continue to unfold.
Wayward Child Serendip
The Wayward Child Serendip offers a very different expression.
We co-fermented Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz using whole bunches and stems before following with extended maceration. The wine then matured in older oak barrels, allowing the tannins to soften naturally over time.
As a result, the wine shows energy, complexity and remarkable drinkability.
Spring in the Vineyard
Meanwhile, attention in the vineyard had turned towards budburst.
Our Chardonnay vines appeared close to bursting, with early signs suggesting growth could begin within the following week.
This stage always brings anticipation throughout the vineyard. While budburst signals the beginning of the growing season, it also increases frost risk across the vineyard.
The new shoots remain delicate during early spring and can suffer damage very quickly in cold conditions.
Looking Ahead to a New Cabernet Release
The winery team also recently completed the blending of a new wine built around Cabernet Sauvignon.
We have worked towards this style since the early years of Helen & Joey Estate. However, the 2016 vintage finally provided the opportunity to bring the concept to life.
One barrel of Cabernet stood apart for its quality and character. Instead of including it in a larger blend, we decided to develop it as a standalone wine.
Most of the packaging preparation is now complete, with bottling scheduled as the next stage before bottle ageing and release.
More details will follow soon.
