The grapes for this wine are Grüner Veltliner from the Anderson Vineyard in Charleston, a cool site in the Adelaide Hills. The very ripe grapes were hand-harvested late in the season (mid-April 2018) at around 15 Baumé. After being pre-chilled, the fruit was whole-bunch pressed. The clear juice was then inoculated with selected yeast strains and underwent a brief fermentation, which was halted by fortification with high-strength grape spirit (SVR). This step preserved the wine's sweetness (approximately 200g/L, giving an “apparent Baumé” of 7.3%) and increased the alcohol to 18% v/v.

In late June 2018, the young wine was placed into old oak barrels, initiating the solera system used for this Sweet Cream Apera. These barrels, hogsheads (300L) previously used for brandy and fortified wines over the past seven decades, are integral to the wine's development. Small batches of wine are made annually following the same method to keep the barrels topped and maintain their influence on the fortified wines.

The wine is hand-bottled in small batches directly from the solera barrels, ensuring a “fresh from the barrel” experience. Each bottle is labeled with its bottling date. It has a light gold color with a subtle green hue, and the nose features a complex bouquet of pear, honey, nougat, and spice. The wine’s silky texture, balanced by its acidity and the purity of the grape spirit, provides a refreshing and elegant sweet wine experience.

James Suckling Rating: 92 points