2022 Stanton & Killeen Arinto

Zesty & refreshing, stone fruits & white florals with a refreshing acidity.

Looking for suitable white wine varieties as well as tackling Rutherglen’s changing climate, Natasha Killeen (1988, 7th Gen) researched Portuguese varieties extensively and chose three to plant in Rutherglen, Arinto, Alvarinho and Antão Vaz. The first two were planted successfully in 2015 with Antão Vaz planted in September 2020.

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Viticulture

Rutherglen is set within prime farming country, adjacent to the Murray River, Australia’s longest river. The terrain is relatively flat, interrupted by gentle hills, and the green, gold, and brown landscape is dotted with towering river red gums. Rutherglen’s continental climate is ideal for producing intensely flavoured wines. The long hours of sunshine through summer and autumn, as well as the relatively high temperatures concentrate the naturally occurring sugars in the grapes, producing fruit that is rich and full-flavoured. The long, dry autumnal weather enables grapes to ripen to optimum maturity, helping create balanced wine. Our 0.5 hectare “House Block” Arinto was planted in 2015 after extensive research by Natasha Killeen, 7th generation vigneron and current General Manager of Stanton and Killeen. The grapes for our 2022 Arinto were harvested just after dawn on the 9th of March 2022 at an optimal ripeness of 12.9 Baume.

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Vinification

The grapes were destemmed and gently pressed, ensuring optimal juice quality. Fermentation took place in large 500L French oak barrels, 30% being new barrels and the balance neutral barrels. The wine was then matured sur lie for 7 months to build texture and complexity.

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Recommendation

Arinto compliments seafood, matching perfectly with seafood paella, king prawns or oysters.