The Eurilla Chardonnay is the first wine to come from the Merrowbank Vineyard in the Piccadilly Valley from the Commune of Buttons. This small parcel of 0.7Ha was leased in 2020, and for the last 3 years we have been working to rehabilitate and convert the vineyard to organic viticulture. The vineyard was planted in 1998 and is all I10v1 Chardonnay. The soils are sandy clay with quartz and hardened sandstone. Perched on a south facing slope the altitude is 500 and is at the southern end of the valley. The vine density is 5,000 vines to the hectare and is now dry-grown. The vineyard this year produced 2 tonnes of chardonnay and was picked on the 4th of April.

The grapes where chilled overnight then whole-bunch pressed and allowed to settle overnight in tank. The juice was then barrel fermented in 3-yearold barriques and elevage on full lees was for 8 months in these barrels. The wine was then racked to tank and aged for another 2 months with bottling in January 2023.

Eurilla has a generous mid-palate of cashews and white peach, there is fruit weight, but this is underlined by minerality and chalk with quenching natural acidity.

– Commune of Buttons