2023 LATTA Vino 'Illuminate' Riesling

Producer: Latta Vino  |  Region: Victoria  |  Grape: Riesling

About The Wine

A Riesling with incredible depth, concentration, and minerality, all underpinned by a super-fresh acid structure. It’s drinking beautifully on release, but will reward with further cellaring.

"Riesling is one of the truly great grape varieties of the wine world, we’re so fortunate to have so many inspiring producers working with it here in Australia. There isn’t a lot of Riesling planted in the Victorian Pyrenees, which I’ve always found very intriguing as there are so many great sites here that could be perfectly suited to the variety.

My approach to producing Riesling is very simple and relaxed. It’s all about capturing the essence of the site, harvested at exactly the right time to express the origin of where its from with no tricks in the cellar. Pristine fruit is whole bunch pressed to tank using a long, slow, manual cycle on the air bag press.

After cold settling overnight (ambient evening outside temp during this cold vintage), the juice is racked the following day and left to ferment naturally with indigenous yeast. Once primary fermentation is complete, the wine remains on full lees for eight months and goes through full malolactic fermentation. A small addition of sulphur is made post malo, and again just before estate bottling.

The fruit comes from the Landsborough site, farmed organically and certified by legendary viticulturist Cory Hope. The vineyard sits on well-drained soils composed of loose quartz, shale, and siltston" 

- Owen Latta

About Owen Latta

Like a lot of winemakers Owen Latta was born into the wine industry after his parents purchased some land in 1970s that is now home to the Eastern Peake wine label. But unlike most winemakers Owen Latta completed his first vintage at just 15.

Owen now manages both LATTA and Eastern Peake winery with the
former being a chance to experiment with interesting grape varietals and exciting winemaking techniques.

He’s just as passionate about sustainable farming and improving soil health, always aiming to make a positive impact in the vineyard.

Through Eastern Peake and Latta Vino, Owen continues to craft wines that tell a story of place and time often pushing the boundaries with his innovative approach.

Snapshot

Region: Pyrenees, Victoria

Country: Australia

Alcohol: 12.6%

Vintage: 2023

Size: 750ml

Closure: Cork under seal

Grapes: Riesling