ABOUT Santolin Wines is a small family business based in the Yarra Valley, run by husband and wife team Adrian and Rebecca Santolin. We both live, breath and love wine. In 2011, after pooling our money and rainy day savings, we had a major decision to make. Do we make the sensible choice and use the savings for a deposit on a house, or do we start living our dream and make wine. Of course we chose wine. In 2012 we finally realised our dream and set about producing our very first vintage, 130 cases of 2012 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, launched under our ultra premium Santolin label. A Chardonnay was added to the range in 2013, and was awarded five trophies, including Best International Chardonnay at the 2015 Decanter Asia Wine Awards and Best New World Chardonnay at the 2014 Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition. The range has since expanded to include a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Willowlake Vineyard, in Gladysdale, located in the slightly cooler sub region of the Upper Yarra Valley. For the past two years both our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay s have been selected by Qantas for their International Business Class wine list. We re still renting, but living the dream. The house can wait.
WINES Created to be a pure expression of the region and the variety. This small batch, hand crafted range of wines are all produced from fruit grown in single vineyards, and all are made with minimal intervention. The fruit is hand picked and brought into the winery where it is left to ferment naturally using wild yeasts. Fermentation temperatures are left to run naturally and fining agents are not used, in order to create wines true to the variety and region. SANTOLIN PINOT NOIR, SYME ON YARRA VINEYARD 2013: 96 POINTS James Halliday 2015 Wine Companion 2013: GOLD 2015 UK Global Masters of Pinot Noir 2014: 1 TROPHY, 3 GOLD MEDALS 2015: 1 TROPHY, 3 GOLD MEDALS SANTOLIN CHARDONNAY, YARRALAND VINEYARD 2013: 95 POINTS James Halliday 2015 Wine Companion 2013: TROPHY: 2015 Decanter Asia Wine Awards International Chardonnay Trophy 2013: TROPHY: 2015 IWSC Hong Kong Best New World Chardonnay 2013: TROPHY: 2014 Riverina Wine Show Best Wine of Show.
HALLIDAY 5 STAR WINERY WINES: SANTOLIN 2016 Santolin Gruyere Pinot Noir (Syme on Yarra Vineyard, Lower Yarra Valley) This wine is produced from fruit grown on a single block in the Syme on Yarra Vineyard, Gruyere. This block is located approximately 150m above sea level and covers some of the most uniform clay loam soil profiles across the whole vineyard. The vineyard has a gentle east facing slope, minimising frost risk and maximising sunshine exposure, with good rainfall across the whole block. It has been hand crafted using whole bunches, natural fermentation and minimal intervention. No fining or filtration was used in the making of this wine. 250 doz produced. WINEMAKING: Fruit was hand picked on the 19th February, 2016. Grapes were then chilled overnight. 15% whole bunches and 85% whole berries underwent natural fermentation in a small open pot over a 14 day period with gentle hand plunging twice daily. Once dry, the ferment was left on skins for one week and then pressed to a mixture of new and old French oak barrels where it underwent natural malolactic fermentation and then matured on lees for 10 months. 2017 Santolin Gladysdale Chardonnay (Willowlake Vineyard, Upper Yarra Valley) This wine is produced from fruit grown on a single 30 year old block in the Willowlake Vineyard based in the small village of Gladysdale, in the slightly cooler Upper Yarra Valley sub region. At 250m above sea level, this vineyard has a blend of soils combining rich, red volcanic soil from the hills and clay loam. The majority of the vines are planted on a north east facing slope and receive high rainfall across the year. The vineyard is hand pruned with vertical shoot positioning and shoot thinned when required throughout the growing season. WINEMAKING: This wine has been hand crafted using natural fermentation and minimal intervention. No fining was used in the making of this wine. Hand picking commenced on March 14th, 2017. Grapes were chilled overnight then whole bunch pressed, and the juice transferred to a mixture of new and old French oak barrels. A portion of the grapes were fermented on skins to add texture and mouthfeel. Once dry, the wine was left to mature on lees until blending, where the wine underwent a single, gentle filtration before bottling.
WINES: COSA NOSTRA n. [Italian, literally: our thing] 2017 PINOT GRIS QTY PRODUCED / REGION 160 dozen / Yarra Valley WINEMAKING Total production: 2 tonne = 5 barrels. Hand picked. Whole bunch pressed. Old French oak. Fermented to dryness. 4 months on lees. No fining. Bottled Aug 2017. Textural. Preserved pear. Lychee. 2016 NERO D AVOLA QTY PRODUCED / REGION 170 dozen / Heathcote WINEMAKING Hand picked. 10% whole bunch. 100% French oak barrels. 14 months in barrel. No fining. Bottled Aug 2017. Savoury. Dark berries. Earthy. 2016 IL CAPO QTY PRODUCED / REGION 275 dozen / Yarra Valley Blend of Sangiovese, Nero d Avola and Barbera WINEMAKING Hand picked. 100 % French oak. 14 months in barrel. Bottled 2017. Red berries. Violets. Earthy.
WINES: SANTOLIN ROSE What is it? 84% Pinot Noir / 16% Sangiovese. Wild fermented in old oak to dryness. Left in barrel for six months. Not fined. Total production: 5 barrels / 125 dozen Pricing: Wholesale AU$150/doz Background: Small batch, personal project by Rebecca. Spending most of her wine career creating brands for others, this project is her creative outlet. Unique and limited.