This week, The West Winds Gin will release just 1400 bottles of a one-off gin made on Chardonnay lees.
The West Winds Sur Lie Gin (French for ‘on lees’) is a limited-edition gin aged for 12 months in used Chardonnay barrels as well as incorporating the use of Chardonnay lees into the mix; a first for a gin anywhere in the world.
The West Winds Sur Lie Gin is a pairing of two Margaret River based producers, Fish Bone Wines and The West Winds Distillery. Having discovered a love for the taste of Chardonnay Lees in a previous life as a winemaker, Anthony Reynolds, now The West Winds Head Distiller, hit upon the idea of merging both brands to create something new and exciting for summer 2020.
Being a true believer that barrel aged gins should not be dominated by oak, Anthony carefully chose older oak and watched the gin closely whilst it developed to ensure the oak enhanced the gin rather than dominate the flavour profile.
The resulting gin has beautiful floral notes with hints or coriander, lemon and cinnamon myrtle. There is an underlying vanilla character which softens out the nose and adds complexity. The palate is rich and flavoursome.
Anthony comments, “By using the Sur Lie technique, we’ve created an exceptionally smooth and rounded gin with additional texture and palate weight similar to that of a Chardonnay wine. The gin has exceptional balance and interest with the addition of the lees giving a lovely softness and length. It has a creamy mouth feel with subtle hints of native Australian wattle seed and oak touches. I couldn’t be happier with the result.”
And clearly the judges at this year’s Australian Gin Distillers Association agree with Anthony as they awarded the gin a trophy for Best in Class – Matured Gin.
The West Winds Sur Lie Gin Signature Serves
The West Winds Sur Lie Sour
- 50ml The West Winds Sur Lie Gin
- 20ml fresh lemon juice
- 20ml MONIN Pure Cane Sugar Syrup
- White of one egg
Add all to cocktail shaker with one cube of ice and shake until completely diluted. Fill shaker with ice and shake again to chill.
Fine strain over ice in rocks glass and garnish with a float of Australian Rose wine.
The West Winds Sur Lie Old Fashioned
- 50ml The West Winds Sur Lie Gin
- Bar Spoon MONIN Pure Cane Sugar Syrup
- 2 Dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Add all to mixing glass over ice and stir to dilute.
Strain over large block of ice in rocks glass and garnish with expressed orange peel.
Sur Lie Spritz
- 30ml The West Winds Sur Lie Gin
- 60ml Dry Prosecco
- 90ml Soda Water
Build all over ice in wine glass.
Garnish with Australian grapes.
Sur Lie G+T
- 45ml The West Winds Sur Lie Gin
- Fentimans Connoisseur Tonic Water to top
Build all over ice in Collins glass.
Garnish with fresh pear.
Contact your Stuart Alexander rep for more info.