2021 La Violetta Das Sakrileg
WINEMAKER: AJ Hoadley
VARIETAL: Riesling
REGION: Great Southern, WA
VITICULTURE: Sustainable
SUPER LIMITED. One of the best expressions of riesling out there.
Das Sakrileg is produced in small quantities for those with inquisitive palates and a healthy appreciation of diversity. In contrast to the classic, purist Australian Riesling style, juice is oxidatively handled, fermented wild in barrel, matured on unsulphured lees and may undergo partial malolactic.
This is a selection of the best barrels from the vintage, sourced from two outstanding Great Southern riesling sites. The 2021 release shows great phenolic presence and depth of savoury characters, with scents reminiscent of quince, sherbet, beeswax and complex characters derived from wild ferment and extended lees contact. On the finely textured palate, rapier acidity is tempered by the richness of fermentation in seasoned oak and time on lees. The wine fermented slowly at ambient temperature in a cool cellar and remained on lees in old puncheons for nine months, before racking and bottling without fining or filtration.
Fine, cool climate floral, citrus and smoky minerality. Citrus intensity, alpine-like freshness, textural phenolics, savoury complexity from lees contact and barrel ferment. The 2021 release is stretched tightly over its frame, it has barely even begun to stir. Reminiscent of the stunning 2009 vintage, savoury and reticent, with a long future ahead.