WINERY
The new winery was commissioned in December 2007 and can process up to 500 tonnes per vintage. A new Dieme press and crusher-destemmer has been installed and considerable attention was paid to ensuring a functional facility that enables the production of high quality wines.
We place considerable emphasis on promoting the primary flavours of each variety which requires that most of our white wines are made and stored in stainless steel tanks. With some chardonnays however, we do appreciate the extra dimension that comes from the use of fine French oak and ferment and mature these wines in a mix of new and seasoned French barriques.
Most (70%) of the grapes are hand picked. They are crushed and then transferred to a vacuum tank press and the juice pumped to the settling tanks within a few hours of harvest and subsequently managed so as to minimise contact with air. All tank fermented white wines are cool fermented via refrigerated cooling jackets to promote flavour development. Cultured yeasts are used to give greater predictability to the fermentation process. The Kaimira Estate wines are fermented to close to dry and the Brightside to off-dry and bottled and released within a year of vintage.
Our Pinot Noir wines are fermented in open top vats and transferred to tanks or barrels for maturation over a 6 to 12 month period depending on the desired style.
