newsletter
Spring / Autumn 2006
wine tasting notes
2003 Shiraz/Grenache
Still some available. Scored 89 points in James Halliday 2006 Wine Companion.
The tannins are settling - a crust and deposit are forming in the bottle. I would rather this happen than make the wine stable prior to bottling. The more wine is handled, the more the aroma and flavour are removed.
2004 Grenache and 2004 Shiraz
Almost sold out. Shiraz scored 92 points and Grenache 88 points in James Halliday 2007 wine companion.
2005 - Both Shiraz and Grenache wines are excellent. full bodied and soft at the same time. We expect to bottle these in March 2007.
2006 - we achieved 2 tonnes per acre of Shiraz for the first time. Quality of the fruit was excellent, with great balance between sugar, acid and colour and tannin.
sparkling red
We have been keeping some base wine from our mixed red block since 2004. This is in old wood to allow the wines to settle and develop some aged character. The varieties are Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Pinot Munier, Malbec and Merlot.
At a recent tasting we assessed each barrel and then made a proportional blend. Colour is excellent, aroma has the aged and fresh compnents and flavour is sensational.
This will be put down to re-ferment in the bottle during the first part of 2007 and will be available mid to late 2007. The finished product will be dry as we don't want to spoil the characters with liqueuring.
vineyards
Like every other area, the lack of rain is showing. Bud burst was 2 weeks later than usual (mid September this year) due to the very cold, dry soil. Growth is less than in previous years and the bunches are a little thinner, so yield is expected to be down a little.
The lack of rain so far is not a problem for us, however, if everything stays dry, I expect harvest will be earlier and vintage will be shorter in duration.
I expect sugar to peak and acid to drop earlier so the colour, aroma and flavour may be less than in previous years.
Time will tell how 2007 vintage will turn out.
We will keep you informed after harvest and fermentation.
Malcolm Seppelt RDA RDOEN
Grape Grower and Winemaker.
