"Wild fermented in stainless steel, the Vermentino spends 6 weeks on fine lees, stirred twice weekly, giving it a beautiful, textural edge. The hot early seasons conditions meant the Vermentino came off very early again, but the ever increasing vine age means that flavours are well developed and layered, while acid is cracking given the season.

This vintage we see all the hallmarks of this wine we expect – citrus, stone fruit, texture, briney salt kick – but it’s the acid, and subsequent length that it gives the wine, that stands out this year. The acid profile is super bright and crunchy, so these classic characteristics seem to play second fiddle, but are accentuated at the same time. And it keeps going and going. We love Vermentino and continuing to champion the variety and its incredible suitability to the Riverland’s hot, dry conditions."

--------THE PRODUCER--------

Delinquente

Delinquente makes small batch, minimal intervention wines from Southern Italian grape varieties grown in the Riverland, South Australia.

We were born and raised in the Riverland, surrounded by vineyards and the mighty Murray River. Delinquente is our attempt at making the best wine we can from the place we grew up. Organically grown, minimal intervention, honest, hand-made wines that not only are great fun to drink, but represent the sun, the red dirt and uniquely Australian terroir of the Riverland.

The Riverland can be very hot and very dry, particularly through the vines growing season. For that reason, we’ve chosen to work with Southern Italian grape varieties – varieties that are suited to the climate, need less water and are naturally drought resistant, are late ripening and retain natural acidity. In this way, they are more environmentally sustainable, and allow us to make wines with lower alcohol levels but heaps of freshness and flavour.

Delinquente is “delinquent” in Italian, which speaks to our desire to always buck the trend, break rules and do things our way. To that end, all of the incredible artwork for Delinquente, from the labels, to cartons, tees and even gifs, are created by our good friend Jason Koen, AKA “Ankles”. Delinquente is his passion project, evident in the intensity of his hand drawn labels which pop from across the room, and the deeply important and personal themes that they speak of.

Sometimes you’ve got to heed the call of the wild child within.

Sometimes you’ve got to go home with a bunch of grapes who’re ugly as sin.

--------THE GRAPE--------

Vermentino

Vermentino is found primarily in three regions of Italy: Liguria, Sardinia and Tuscany, and in each of those territories, the plantings are very close to the sea. Simply stated, producing a Vermentino from seaside vineyards gives the wines a special character that you don’t find from a warmer, inland area. Vermentino from a maritime climate tends to display a minerality or saltiness in the finish – as though you are tasting the soils and/or experiencing the tanginess of the sea when you are enjoying the wine – and if that doesn’t appear too appetizing in print, wait until you pair a Vermentino with seafood antipasti or pasta with a pesto sauce.

--------THE REGION--------

Riverland

Riverland winemakers are encouraging style development and making full-flavoured, generous and approachable wines that are popular the world over. The Riverland offers an abundance of riches for visitors - whether it's the juicy harvests of citrus fruits, the wines from world-class vineyards or the majestic Murray River itself.

Climate

The Riverland climate is Continental, resulting in long sunny days and noticeably cooler nights.
Long sunshine hours ensure fruit ripens fully and low relative humidity results in little or no disease pressures.

Soil

The soils of the Riverland vary significantly. The two main types are river valley soils, consisting of sandy loams over clay subsoils, and Mallee soils on higher ground, consisting of wind-blown sands over lime and clay layers.
Soils within the river valley, comprising loams and clays, were formed when fine clay and silt particles were deposited over the flood plain by the River Murray.
On higher ground, the Mallee landscape is characterized by depressions and rises and consists of windblown sands over lime and clay layers.

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