A Rodda 'Arquila Audax' Vineyard Tempranillo 2022
The Wine
Sitting on the edge of an escarpment, the vineyard is planted at 580 metres above sea level in deep, shaley, mudstone soils. Vineyard Owner/Operator Mark Walpole (ex-Brown Brothers Viticulturist) employs a fastidious viticultural approach that combines arch-cane pruning with judicious leaf plucking and fruit thinning. This, in conjunction with the inherent suitability of the site to the variety, ensures the desired fruit flavour profile and tannin maturation is achieved in the vineyard.
After hand harvesting, the majority of fruit was de-stemmed, lightly crushed and cold soaked for four days. A parcel of 100 per cent whole bunches was fermented separately making up approximately 30 per cent of the final blend. During fermentation, the timing and combination of pump-overs, rack and returns, pigeage and plunging was to preserve aromatics and perfume yet extract adequate tannins for structure and length. Post-fermentation, the wine was held on skins for a further 15 days before pressing to French oak hogsheads (35% first use) for 16 months. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration
Intense aromas dark cherries, spiced plums, and cinnamon are intertwined with hints of violets, cedar, and graphite On the palate, plush fruit characters are seamlessly interwoven with fine, powdery tannins, providing a finish that is long, velvety, and ever so savory.
The Details
Variety - Tempranillo
Country - Australia
Region - Victoria
Sub Region - Beechworth
Extra - Screwcap
Year - 2022
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
Adrian Rodda has been making wine since 1998. Originally working with David Bicknell at Oakridge, he was involved in the development of the superb Oakridge 864 Chardonnay, with his final contribution to this wine in 2009.
At the start of 2010, Adrian and his wife Christie moved to Beechworth and joined Mark Walpole, of Fighting Gully Road, to work on the Smiths Vineyard – which was planted to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot back in 1978.
From 2011, the range has grown to include a Bordeaux Blend, based around Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Smiths Vineyard (Beechworth), and a Tempranillo from the ‘Aquila Audax’ Vineyard (Beechworth) – this was Adrian’s first foray with a Mediterranean variety.
In 2012, Adrian commenced the ‘Chardonnay Project’: Where he works with established, premium Chardonnay vineyards across Victoria. Chardonnay is sourced from the ‘Willowlake’ Vineyard in the Yarra Valley, which is vinified in parallel with the ‘Smiths’ Vineyard, in Beechworth.
In 2017, a third single-vineyard site was secured: Chardonnay from the ‘Baxendale’ Vineyard at Whitlands, in the King Valley. Noted as being in the cooler, upper-reaches of North East Victoria, this Whitlands’ site produces exceptional fruit at 560-620m elevation.
Offering three single-vineyard Chardonnay, Adrian showcases the typicity of each vineyard, and captures exceptional varietal expression in each wine.
In recent times, Adrian planted a high-density Nebbiolo vineyard on his own Mayday Hills property, and recently bottled the first harvest from the 2023 vintage. The wine is looking very good for a first crack on his own land – keep an eye out for that one!
