Ocean ageing enhances the maturation process
producing a fresh and complex wine with incredible length and finesse.
The ocean provides ideal conditions for cellaring with constant temperatures, filtered light, minimal sound and hydrostatic pressure. For sparkling wine, the added benefit of ocean currents maintains the yeast lees in suspension which encourages yeast autolysis and secondary flavour development.
AUSTRALIA’S FIRST OCEAN AGED WINE
We have been experimenting with underwater ageing since 2006. Working as a flying winemaker in Italy, the back pages of an in-flight magazine introduced us to the benefits of ocean ageing. Our first commercial release came in Vintage 2012 and our current release is the 2017 Vintage Cuvée.
The fruit for our Vintage Cuvée is sourced from Victoria’s highest altitude vineyard (874m) in the Whitlands High Plateau, Victoria. A continental climate of cool winters and mild summers ensures a long and even growing season which is critical for flavour development and retaining high natural acidities.
Ocean Aged Wines is a small family owned and operated wine producer. We hand pick the fruit, whole bunch press, barrel ferment in French oak barriques and hold on tirage for a minimum five years. Unlike traditional cellaring, we submerge our wines in the ocean to enhance the maturation process.
Our winemaking philosophy is very much hands-off. We aim to capture a time and place in bottle with minimal intervention. The vineyard and vintage conditions dictate the terms, and ultimately, the final blend that goes to bottle. Ocean ageing simply enhances the wines’ inherent character.
Each vintage is a field blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Ocean ageing preserves the fresh and youthful fruit characters while also enhancing the secondary flavours of freshly baked bread, brioche and honeycomb. The extended maturation produces an ultra fine and persistent bead.
Try it for yourself