Jauma Why Try So Hard 2020

Why Try So Hard is Jauma's shape-shifting blend — the name signals that the grapes and vintage dictate the wine, not a house recipe. For 2020, James Erskine landed on 70% Chenin Blanc, 20% Muscat à Petit Grain, and 10% carbonic Grenache from the Lilies vineyard in McLaren Flat, where 80-plus-year-old bush vines grow on deep white sand over clay. The wine carries a faint blush from the Grenache and sits in skin-contact white territory rather than a traditional white or rosé.

Each variety is handled separately. The Chenin is destemmed and pressed directly to barrel, where it ferments for 10 months. The Muscat à Petit Grain is destemmed and left on skins for two weeks before pressing to barrel for a further 10 months. The Grenache undergoes carbonic maceration in a sealed tank — unusually, the CO2 comes not from purchased dry ice but from 50 litres of actively fermenting Chenin added to the vessel, staying true to Jauma's zero-purchased-additions approach. All three components are then blended before bottling under crown seal.

The vineyards are certified organic through NASAA and managed by viticulturist Fiona Wood. No sulfur, no fining agents, no filtration, and no additions of any kind are used at any stage. The result is a wine that reads as dry, aromatic, and lightly textured, with a distinctly fresh and low-alcohol profile at 11.5% ABV.