VINEYARD  Virtually next door to each other in the Polish Hill River, Martin & Joan Smith and Molloy's vineyards stand as excellent examples of what this sub-region of Clare can achieve. Quality soils are the thumb print of all great wines and as the road leading to both  vineyards is called Blue Cutting Road, so too is the basis of these vineyards. Grey loam acid soils over sandstone and slate make up the profile with much of the top soil littered with rock, hinting at just how tough the vines need to be to sustain growth and produce quality fruit - not to mention the work of the vigneron to ensure overall balance. Only 9 kilometres from Watervale, the Polish Hill River region is quite a bit cooler and typically the fruit ripens 2-3 weeks later; this combined with the soil profile produces fruit with finesse and intensity. It is the slate of Polish Hill River, as opposed to the limestone of Watervale that gives rise to the point of difference between these styles. Despite growing these vines organically since their planting in the 1970’s, 2012  marked the first year of NASAA Organic Certification for these vineyards.   VINIFICATION  Fruit is harvested in the cool of the night, de-stemmed, crushed and gently pressed. The free-run juice is chilled to preserve the vineyard expression and purity of fruit. Once the juice has settled it is racked off solids and seeded with yeast. A cool, temperature controlled fermentation is carried out over 10-14 days. The wine is then chilled and filtered prior to bottling. O’Leary Walker Wines  has recently gained NASAA Organic Certification, with this wine being organically produced under these guidelines.  TECHNICAL DETAILS  pH  2.85   TA  7.0g/L   WINEMAKERS    Nick Walker, David O'Leary  COLOUR   Yellow straw with green hues.  BOUQUET  Florals, musk and intense citrus.  ALC 12%   RS  1g/L  PALATE  Textured with orange rind, lemon, lime and spice.  Complex, honey notes and balanced natural acidity.  FOOD MATCH  A perfect accompaniment to oysters natural.  CELLARING POTENTIAL  This wine is ready to drink now. Careful cellaring has resulted in a poised and elegant example of the inaugural organic release of this wine.