Kevin McCarthy travelled extensively across northern Italy in the late 90s to study their foremost Pinot Grigios. These experiences intensified a fascination with the wines of Friuli, unearthing unexpected textural beauty in their field blends and varietal styles that combine regional heritage, familial folklore and imagination.
This paved the way for the introduction of Friulano to the winery vineyard in 2006 – a first in Australia – and continues to inform Quealy’s range of skin contact wines.
Skin contact refers to the practice of using white grape skins in the winemaking process. Varieties such as Friulano are keenly sought after in Italy for their phenolic composition – the collection of chemical compounds that dictate colour, flavour and texture. The technique of extended maceration on skins unlocks the aroma and rich tannins of Friulano’s deep copper-coloured fruit.
Quealy employ both terracotta amphora and barrel for maturation. The cool confines and inherent porosity of amphora are perfectly suited to skin contact winemaking. Micro-oxygenation through terracotta polymerises tannin, creating long chains that bestow plush palate-weight, exceptional length and excellent cellaring potential.
The Pobblebonk field blend embodies all the elements of inspiration, experience and intuition. A blend composed in the winery vineyard where 5 complementary varieties create a polyphonic wine reflective of vintage. The chorus of natural attributes provided by Pinot Grigio, Friulano, Moscato Giallo, Chardonnay and Riesling perform in harmony when grown and fermented together.
Secco Splendido – dry & wonderful – sparkling wines are hand-made and bottle-fermented. Quealy eschew the use of sulphur through small batch production and these joyful, fragrant wines should be drunk young. Exclusive plantings of cool-climate Muscat impel an alternative style. The chalkiness of these fleshier, aromatic fruits enlivens the palate in lieu of searing acidity, typical to traditional sparkling.
