@rikardwines
Check out our latest social activities…
Check out our latest social activities…
Vintage 2024 @ RIKARD: we haven’t experienced a vintage quite like this yet in Orange; it’s early, yes, and we’ve seen those before.
But early usually indicates a warmer season, faster sugar accumulation, slightly undeveloped phenological ripeness and lower natural acids - not this year!...
This year it’s beautiful flavours, no disease, lovely ripeness at lower sugars and strong acid retention in the juice.
Chardonnay seems to be the star of the show, so far. We’ve seen some amazingly tasty bins of fruit come into the winery in the last two weeks, all from our lower vineyard sites at 850m. We expect the cooler sites above 950m to be ready within a fortnight.
Plenty of fruit still to come. We’re maybe a third of the way through. It’s all shaping up beautifully.
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines #orangensw #orangewineregion #vintage2024 #orange360_allyearround #nswwine
Vintage24 @ RIKARD: the very good looking room.
Its beginning to look a lot like vintage with the barrel room starting fill up. We still have lots on the floor as the Chardonnay ferments are foaming and have just met a new reptilian supervisor!
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines ...#orangewineregion #orangensw #orange360_allyearround #vintage24 #rikardchardonnay
Vintage24 @ RIKARD: rising with the sun.
Why are we up this early?
Starting early to pick in the vineyard, so the fruit is cooler, pickers are fresher and it allows us the time and opportunity to process fruit in the afternoon (if need be).
Morning picks allow the winery time... to process the (refrigerated) fruit from the previous day first thing in the morning before the next vineyard pick.
We’re refrigerating fruit overnight so that the fruit is processed cold the next day and whites will settle better after pressing.
The reds can cold soak on skins and have more time to absorb water-soluble components before alcohol gets high and the colour is often better.
It’s also the best time of day to say “how’s the serenity” and marvel at how great it is to be immersed in vintage at the top of the mountain.
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines #orangensw #vintage24 #orangewineregion #coolclimatewines #orange360_allyearround
Vintage24 @ RIKARD: wine tasting time out.🍷
We strive to make your wine tasting experience unique - where you meet the makers of our wines, in the place we make it.
The hands that pour the wine in your glass are the same hands that are currently hoisting baskets of grapes, cleaning the ...press and plunging wine ferments through harvest. And the winery is in full production for a big and busy few months ahead.
So we look forward to welcoming you and sharing our wines and stories of vintage 2024 with you again later in April.
Until then, the online store is open 24/7, wines sales are open at the winery and a selection of our wines are available at local Orange wine stores - @fermentwinecentre @thelanecellars @orangecellars @agrestic_grocer
#rikardwines #orangensw #iconicsmallbatchwines #orangewineregion #orange360_allyearround
Chardonnay blending trial, one of our favourite days of the year - 23 barrels of 2023 Chardonnay to blend into our RIKARD and Black Labels. Creating complexity through difference. A great line up, lots of options and another great cool vintage.
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines ...#orangensw #orangewineregion #chardonnayblending
Vintage24 @ RIKARD: beginnings. 🍇 Just a few days ago, we saw the first colour since planting in 2019 at La Cloche, beautiful first borns.
Some lab work measured 11.2 Baumé - the units of measurement for the amount of sugar in grape juice and fermenting wine - signalling that it’s ...time to pick the Chardonnay at Kywarra for our sparkling base.
Hand picking the Chardonnay and Pinot for sparkling base at Kywarra means harvest has officially commenced - and so has the cleaning!
We can’t wait to share this vintage with you.
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines #orangensw #orangewineregion #vintage2024 #orange360allyearround
The sun is out with zebra clouds cover La Cloche vineyard, where we’re seeing our promising first grapes since planting in 2019. It’s a beautiful day on the mountain!
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines #orangensw #laclochevineyard #vintage2024 #orangewineregion #orange360_allyearround
Last wire lift at Amboseli Shiraz vineyard. Bunches are looking the goods!
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines #orangensw #rikardshiraz #vintage2024 #orangewineregion
Our RIKARD 2022 Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé is ready for a disgorgement trial. Another beauty from another wonderfully cool year and vineyard at 1080m ASL.
The last few bottles of our very small batch of 2021 Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé are available online or at the cellar door. We’re looking ...forward to releasing the next vintage with you soon.
#rikardwines #iconicsmallbatchwines #orangnsw #orangewineregion #rikardsparkling #orange360allyearround