Travis Tausend Agori White

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Travis Tausend Agori White  (Organic, Natural)

 

This field blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling is fermented with the fruit harvested early, which reduces sweetness and makes it light, the wine is just that:  herbaceous, with notes of grapefruit pith and tons of minerality!

From Travis:

With the help of the vineyard owner Steve, the vines grow at the very southern tip of the Adelaide Hills in a small community called Hope Forest. The original careers and traditional owners of this land are the Perimangk people. The soils here are varied but the vines put their roots into mostly clay, sand and ironstone based soils.

The vineyard is planted on several slopes but mostly make use of a north east aspect. Being in a raised valley that is cooled by two winds, the hot days experienced by the regions surrounding are mitigated by the Southern Ocean wind and the Gulf breeze, making our micro climate one of the coolest in the Adelaide Hills. Because of this beautiful flow of air, we get pockets of noble rot in the vineyard that I use to add another layer to the Rieslings and Sauvignon Blanc.

All of the work of the business is done by me. This includes: logistics, maintenance, making, blending, bottling, labelling, packaging, bookkeeping, marketing, design etc. During harvest I am helped by friends and family as it is a bit much to do on my own.

In the vineyard all of the work Is done by vineyard owners and me with management by me for the rows I have selected. During harvest we pay Isa, Arif & Francis + their chosen crew $28 (minimum wage in South Australia is $19.27) per person, per hour to help pick the fruit with me, starting at sunrise with breaks for morning tea and lunch and finishing no later than 2pm. The wages for these picking days are paid at the end of each picking day so that the money flows directly to the pickers as soon as the work is done.

I see winemaking as an art. The wines that I make have emotion, intuition and energy that has flowed through me at the time of making them. For this reason, the wines will always be different, not only  due to vintage variations from year to year, but also the changes and growth within me as a winemaker and person. I hope you find as much pleasure in drinking them as I do in the making. 

I am interested in the history of the land, the environmental flow, the cultural resonance and the spiritual weight that  weave a narrative into the vineyard. With that history comes a responsibility to care for the land allowing future generations to find it in better condition than when we found it. 

I keep this in mind when tending to the vines and am intrigued to learn more from the traditional and rightful  custodians of this place, the Peramangk people. Immersing ourselves in an intimate history of our place can only help shape a unique understanding of our responsibility as carers for this land. This deep knowledge and knowing of place will help to inform how I tell this story through the medium of wine. 

All of the wines I make are done so with very little modern machinery, making use of a hand destemmer, and hand driven press, heaps of buckets, 2 hoses, a stack of old barrels and some tanks. It is important that we labor over the fruit to give attention to detail and respect a process that has a wonderful history of its own. 

My history as a winemaker is short in practice (I have been making wine since 2014) but vast in learning and shaping of ideas. I have been immersed in natural wine since 2005. I have been molding my opinion, my palate, perspective and an understanding of what makes me smile when I taste a wine. I bring all of that knowledge to every decision that is made in the growing and making of the wines.  

I dearly hope that when the  wines are opened they are surrounded by good humour, great conversation and fun. After all, that is what they are there for. 

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