RRP: Â
 |    ÂPale gold with green hues. Lifted aromas of citrus blossom, passionfruit flower, tangerine and guava, with underlying notes of white peach, lemon rind and rosemary. A rich and textural palate filled with flavours of nectarine, ripe pear, baked apple, nougat and cashew, balanced by refreshing acidity and a long, lingering finish.
Product Information
- Vintage
- 2023
- Grape variety breakdown
29% Sauvignon Blanc | 25% Semillon | 17% Chardonnay | 11% Pinot Gris | 11% GewĂŒrztraminer | 4% GrĂŒner Veltliner | 3% Riesling
- Technical Details
- Alcohol: 11% | pH:
3.12
| Acidity:7.39g/L
| Volume: 750mls
- Harvest Date
22 March - 5 April
- Maturation
Matured for 9 months in a combination of stainless steel, seasoned French oak barrels and cocciopesto amphorae to build texture on the palate.
- Background
Sass the Tailor is a tribute to Henry William Sass, a tailor of Lobethal in the early 1900s, who owned the property on Croft Road in the Adelaide Hills that became our Lenswood Archerâs Vineyard in 2009. Sass subsequently sold the property to Frederick Croft, after whom the road along Croft Ridge is named. First-generation Henschke winemaker, Johann Christian and his sons helped establish the town of Lobethal following their 90-day voyage from Kutschlau, Silesia in 1841. In 1847 Johann Christian moved his family to Krondorf in the Barossa Valley, finally settling in the Eden Valley, where we have since celebrated over 150 years of family winemaking.
- Cellaring potential
Excellent vintage; 10+ years (from vintage).
Vintage Description
ADELAIDE HILLS â 2023 Winter rainfall was back to average following a comparatively dry 2021/2022 season, with a wet August and September. Cold conditions delayed budburst, but October saw rapid shoot growth. November was exceedingly wet with over three times the average rainfall across the Adelaide Hills. Continued wet weather saturated the soil, posing challenges for vineyard access and increasing disease pressure. Development of downy mildew infections in the pre-flowering bunches caused some damage, but ideal flowering conditions in mid-December resulted in good set and a moderate crop level. Veraison began in the last week of February, one of the latest on record. The 2023 pinot gris from Littlehampton was picked in the third week of March, the latest harvest since 2006. The resulting wine shows extraordinary flavour with excellent balance, aromatics and a long, lingering finish.
EDEN VALLEY â 2023 While the winter of 2022 saw average rainfall, the latter part of the year brought cooler and above average wet weather. This led to poor flower set and encouraged the spread of downy mildew. A hail flurry on 23 January caused some damage to the growing green berries, which became sites for botrytis infections later during ripening. Shoot thinning to open up the canopy during the growing season helped to overcome disease pressure. The cool lead up to vintage resulted in a slow ripening period, allowing for great flavour development and acid retention. Rainfall during the harvest period did encourage the growth of botrytis, but careful hand selection during picking delivered good quality fruit. Despite the challenges of the season, yields were average to above average, with larger berry size compensating for the poor set. The 2023 vintage will be remembered for excellent quality wines with riesling, semillon and shiraz the standout varieties. Overall, the whites show intensely perfumed aromatics with a pristine acid line and outstanding flavour concentration, while the reds are deep in colour with good structure, mature tannins and excellent length.
Recommended Food Pairing