2023 Sandalford 1840 Verdelho
This wine is dry, richly textured and flavoursome on the palate with well-balanced soft acidity leading to a long and sustained finish. Best served chilled and pairs well with seafood. Careful cellaring in the medium term will add bottle age complexity and richness.
Winemaker comments
Winemaker Notes
This Portuguese native variety found its way to Western Australia over a century ago. Here it thrives in the warm Mediterranean climate of the Swan Valley producing exceptional quality table wines. Old Vine Verdelho grown on the Sandalford Caversham Estate property was destemmed, chilled and pressed to tank. Only the free run juice portion was utilised in crafting this wine. After completion of fermentation in stainless steel, the wine was then allowed to sit on ferment lees for a brief period to build texture and complexity. The wine was then given a light fining and filtered before bottling.
Meet the maker
By the time I turned 18, I had become fascinated with wine. I was keen to learn as much about wine as I could and I received some great advice: to work in the industry before committing to any tertiary study....
Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Tasting notes
Varietals
Varietal
Verdelho
Colour
Other Notes
Pale straw with tinges of green/gold
Nose
Production
Ripe fruit flavours of Honeydew melon, pineapple, dried apple and guava notes overlayed with hints of ginger and spice.
Palate
Tasting Note
This wine is dry, richly textured and flavoursome on the palate with well-balanced soft acidity leading to a long and sustained finish. Best served chilled and pairs well with seafood.
Careful cellaring in the medium term will add bottle age complexity and richness.
Vintage Conditions
Vineyard Notes
The spring rainfall preceding the 2023 vintage was the second highest on record in Western Australia. Additionally, the maximum temperatures for spring were very much below average for most of the south west of the state. The persistent rainfall and cool conditions during the spring season promoted lush, healthy canopies with moderate crop levels. The Summer arrived with some timely warm weather in December and January to get things going in the vineyard. It is fair to say that the 2023 seasonal conditions have delivered one of the highest quality vintages seen in the Swan Valley for well over a decade.
