2017 La Violetta Das Sakrileg Cult Wine

“A wine that in a few short vintages has rocketed to the top of my riesling list… The palate is electric, zingy with slate and cool, grapefruity acidity. Great length, good intensity. Flavours rush, freshness bursts. Glass shard texture. Big refreshment, tension, refreshment factor. Das ist gut.” Mike Bennie, Winefront

98% Riesling, 2% Gewürztraminer

DEKASAK! We celebrate the tenth vintage of Das Sakrileg, a wine produced in small volumes for those with inquisitive palates and a healthy appreciation of diversity. In contrast to the classic, purist Australian Riesling style, juice is oxidatively handled, fermented wild in barrel, matured on unsulphured lees and may undergo partial malolactic. This is a selection of only the best barrel, sourced from outstanding Great Southern riesling sites. The 2017 release shows great phenolic presence and depth of savoury characters, with scents reminiscent of quince, sherbet, beeswax and complex characters derived from wild ferment and extended lees contact. On the finely textured palate, citrus-like acidity is tempered by the richness of fermentation in seasoned oak and time on lees. The wine fermented at ambient temperature in a cool cellar and remained on lees in old puncheons and hogsheads for 9 months, before racking and bottling without fining or filtration.

Fresh citrus blossom, fine stone fruit and rose petal notes. Delicious and moreish, citrus intensity and acid line, mineral phenolics, subtle lees contact and barrel ferment complexity. A great riesling vintage for the region and probably the finest Das Sak yet.