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VINTAGE NEWS -from Graeme: Although the
season started close to what we consider a 'normal' date, we
experienced an exceptionally short vintage this year. Normally we would
commence vintage in the last week in February and finish at the end of
April or the first week of May. This year we started on the 27th of
February and finished on the 22nd of March. Across Southern
Australia a protracted heat wave caused rapid ripening of varieties and
in some regions some fruit was left on the vines, due to it over
ripening before it could be picked. Fortunately we were able to get all
our crop in and ensure that acids were good and sugars didn't climb too
much.
While the fruit was very good, the situation at vintage was
certainly pressured. At one stage we had seven different ferments going in the
winery, with reds and whites fermenting side by side. The
condensed season meant that tank space was in demand and we bought and
borrowed tanks to cope with the rush.
We worked really hard as a vintage team, for very long
hours every day, but the results have been very pleasing, with wines of
considerable depth and intensity of flavour and I am grateful to the
whole team. This included Shaun who came to us in January and was then
thrust into a hectic vintage and must have been scratching his head at
times wondering how we would cope; Chris our vintage cellar hand who has
now enrolled in a winemaking degree at Charles Sturt (he expressed
interest in winemaking and was advised to do a vintage first. The hectic
pace doesn't seem to have dampened his enthusiasm); my wife Bernie, Mick
our main man in the vineyard (who also had a very hectic first vintage),
and various others from time to time during the vintage including Jo,
William, Doug, Mark and David. Each year we a purchase a small amount of
the Cabernet Franc for our Bordeaux blend, from Simon Peirce at Steels
Creek Estate, so thanks also to Simon and Joanne for the picking and
delivery of their fruit, as we were so hard pressed for time.
We harvested our second crop of Pinot Gris and it is a
lovely wine and will be released under the Dixons Creek Estate label
later in the year. Last year's Pinot Gris was our first crop and being a
very small amount, was an experimental crop. We have hand bottled this
recently, but have not labelled it, as it is a small production.
It is available as a clean skin at cellar door and is a nice wine for a
first crop.
NEWS FROM THE CELLAR May 2008- from Shaun:
Despite the warm weather during vintage, all the wines have tremendous
flavour intensity and good balance. The whites have been cold settled
after ferment and the barrel fermented Chardonnay is currently going
through a partial malolactric fermentation. The reds have been put
through malo and and will eventually be racked across to barrel. The
Shiraz is already in barrel.
2008 Pinot Gris: This lovely, delicate wine
displays intense pear and granny smith apple aromas, with fresh citrus
pear fruits and lively acidity on the palate.
2008 Sauvignon Blanc: This wine was exciting
from the beginning when we first sampled it. Picked with a riper
spectrum of aromas and flavours, the '08 "Savy" is now cold settled and
racked off gross lees. It has really intense tropical fruit
aromas of passionfruit, pineapple and underlying citrus.
2008 Chardonnay: This was the first variety to
come into the winery this vintage. It was whole bunch pressed, cold
settled for 24 hours, racked to undergo fermentation in tank for a brief
period, then transferred to new French oak barrels to complete its
fermentation. Thirty percent has commenced a malolactic fermentation and
the balance has been topped and stirred on yeast lees and lightly
sulphured to preserve its delicate aromas. It displays sweet melon and
citrus fruits, with underlying grilled hazelnuts and toast. The palate is
fresh and lively, with a creamy texture from lees stirring.
2008 Pinot Noir: Our Pinot Noir is again made
from the two clones, as in previous years since 2005. One is MV4, an old
Burgundy clone which Graeme had identified by a French Ampleographer in
the 1970s (cuttings were taken by Graeme and Bernie from the old Chateau
Yarrinya site, courtesy of Steve Webber and Leanne De Bortoli). This
clone produces smaller fruit and intense flavours. The other clone is
the MV6 clone which produces some lovely Pinot in the Valley and the
combination has produced award winning Pinots for our winery. The clones
were fermented separately this year and after 9 days were pressed off
skins and innoculated for a malolactic fermentation. The MV4 clone
has been put across to one year old oak to complete its malo and the MV6
finished its malo in tank and was racked clean to oak.
2008 Shiraz: This variety was picked quite ripe,
about 14 Be, the only variety to 'get away' a bit, but the acids were
still lovely and firm. It displays ripe blackberry and plum fruits, with
spicy back pepper complexity. The palate is rich and concentrated, with
firm acidity and grippy tannins. The wine has finished its malolactic
fermentation and has been racked clean to American oak, which Graeme
favours for cool climate Shiraz.
2008 Merlot: Flavour-wise, and analytically, the
Merlot was perfect at harvest, ferment went without a hitch and the wine
pressed off, settled and racked off gross lees and is finishing its malo.
It displays ripe plum and red berry fruits, with a soft and supple
palate boasting nice angular tannins.
2008 Cabernet: The Cabernet and the Cabernet
Franc have now been blended. Both came in very clean and at perfect
ripeness. The remaining components of our Bordeaux blend, the Merlot and
Petit Verdot, will be added after the malolactic fermentation. The
Cabernet this year is displaying concentrated blackberry and plum fruits
with savoury undertones, and the palate is intense and well balanced.
2008 Petit Verdot: The last variety to be
picked; the fruit was looking particularly good this year, with luscious
ripeness and acid balance. The wine is currently going through
malolactic fermentation and will be racked to barrel when this finishes.
It displays very intense, sweet red berry fruits, with floral notes
intermingling on the nose. The palate is concentrated with firm tannins
and clean acidity.
From Graeme- an update on our 2006 Sparkling Base
: Our vintage style sparkling base, which is being made by full Methode
Champenoise, is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. It has been developing since 2006
when we made the base wine. Last December we sent it to Kilchurn
Winery for tirage. We sent for samples afte vintage, which we are
testing to determine liquoring and to make further winemaking
decisions. It is developing nicely and I feel the Pinot is contributing
lovely character.
MARKETING NEWS - from Bernie
We started the year off with our involvement in the Grape
Grazing Events Program. As part of this our comedy night with Damian
Callinan was held on the 9th of February and we were booked to capacity.
Many thanks to Damian for a great show, which was held in a marquee at
the back of the winey. The following day it was off to Healesville
racecourse where we were part of the Yarra Valley "On the Palate" event;
twenty Yarra Valley cellar doors and Yarra Valley produce. We were
blessed with great weather for the event, which had a real family-day
focus and was one of the highlights of the Grape Grazing Festival events
program.
During vintage on the 1st and second of March we had a
stand at Cellar Door at Southgate as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine
Festival,. The following week, the 8th of March, we conducted a "Dessert
Wine Discovery" in the winery, on how port is made, as part of the
same Festival. On the 2nd and 3rd of April we were at
Federation Square as part of the Yarra Valley Regional Showcase.
On Monday and Tuesday the 26th and 27th of May we were at the Melbourne Exhibition and
Convention centre with six Yarra Valley and many other Victorian Wineries for Restaurant
'08. This was a trade only event. On the following Friday the 30th,
Saturday the 31st and Sunday the 1st of June we exhibited at the
Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show at the Melbourne Exhibition
and Convention Centre , as part of the Exhibition of
Victorian Winemakers. On Tuesday night the 3rd of June Graeme gave a presentation on
the winery and the Bordeaux blends for the
Victorian Wine Guild at St. Michael's hall in Ashburton(http://www.wineguild.com.au).
Coming Events:
We have a busy marketing schedule this year which will
take us to Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, as well as several events in
Melbourne. The Good Food and Wine Shows are great opportunities to
sample from a wide range of wineries and regions. On June 20th, 21st and 22nd we
will be at the Sydney Good Food and Wine Show at Darling Harbour
on stand B35. At the end of June we’ll take part in the Roy Moorfield’s
and Ron Leslie’ Duck Crawl in Chinatown, an exciting Pinot event.
In July we will be at the Perth Good Food and Wine Show
at the Perth Convention Centre on stand F11; 11th, 12th and 13th of
July.
In August we will be at Marylands Country House
at Marysville for the Marylands Pinot Convention Duck Crawl
on August 16th.
www.marylands.com.au and later in August we will be at the Exhibition Buildings in Carlton for
Taste of Melbourne on stand 62; 22nd, 23rd and 24th of August. This
event will showcase some of Melbourne's best restaurants and some of Victoria's
best wineries and the public are encourage to combine fine food with great
wine at the event. In September we will be at the Fine Food and
Wine and Spirits Australia on stand Y4. This is trade event to be
held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on the 22nd to
the 24th of September. On the 7th, 8th and 9th of November we will be at
the Brisbane Good Food and Wine Show at the Brisbane Convention
Centre on stand C22. We look forward to catching up with many old and
new customers at
these events.
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