Unico Zelo

Region:  Polish Hill River, Clare Valley

Appellation:  Clare Valley

Varietal/Blend:  100% Gewürztraminer

Vineyard: Unico Zelo Pollen Gewürztraminer comes from a Polish Hill River vineyard in Clare Valley, situated at 520 meters above sea level. Grown on loam soil with red shale clay over blue slate, the fruit was harvested from 17th - 23rd of March, 2023.

Cellar: For this wine, the grapes are crushed and pressed straight to stainless steel, where they are fermented dry for purity and focus. Then, the wine is left on fine lees for six months of maturation, building subtle texture and complexity.

CSPC:  111531

Winemakers Note: You’d be forgiven for not knowing the origins of Gewürztraminer; a German name, mostly grown in the Alsace, but it’s believed home is the town of Tramin, in the Northern Italian region of Alto-Adige (which has strong historical German ties and it is the most spoken language). We’re always fond of Northern Italian varieties, and Gewürz is no exception. We’ve been working with this plot in Polish Hill River, Clare Valley since 2020 - most notably in Esoterico - and it is a remarkable mirrored climate to its home. Similar rainfall, 600mm annually, altitude, 520m above sea level, distance from the ocean, give or take around 30kms, growing season temps. It’s right in our breadbasket.

By far and away our favourite thing about thing about Gewürztraminer, aside from its captivating aromatics and utterly unique flavour profile, is its ability to pair with some of our favourite foods to eat. If there is anything on your plate that's bursting with herbs, spice, and that beautiful balance of sweet, salt, and acid that is emblematic of great Thai, Vietnamese, and the litany of incredible regional cuisines of Southeast Asia, you should be drinking Pollen. Don't expect any sweetness here, it's bone dry, and due to some slight early picking, a touch of refreshing acidity, bursting with potpourri, ginger and kaffir lime aromatics, a gorgeous chalky texture, riddled with golden apples, white peach and pineapple. Perfectly paired with plastic chairs in a bustling alley, armed with chopsticks and lotus soup spoons.

What the Critics are saying:  As you'd suspect from this oh-so-aromatic variety, there's a fireworks display of heady citrus, spice and floral characters right from first sniff. It never feels cloying, though, thanks to a subtle lift of acidity and the fact that it's been fermented to total dryness, leaving rich textural elements and a spicy finish, but no unwanted sweetness. Clearly demonstrates a good understanding of this unique variety. 94 points, Wine Enthusiast (2023 vintage)