OPEN DAYS 2023
Saturday 7th and 14th October 10am to 4pm
Maryann 0412 589 490
,
2023 marked the 60th year since the first vines were planted. Quite an amazing milestone.
A bit of history
The beautiful site was selected in 1963 by Reg for its east facing slope, ensuring that the morning light would shine gently on the vines. At the time this area of outer Melbourne was a mixture of orchards, bush and grasslands. After all - it was outside the metropolitan area!
The side benefit of the block of 12 acres was that it was near to Reg's Mount Waverley legal practice so if needed he could dash home from the office to look after the ferments. In buying the land he was aware that the suburbs would start to sprawl and eventually potentially overtake the vineyard. And whilst the houses have arrived down the road, suburbia has happened around us. With the 1971 rezoning of many thousands of hectares of land around us, and including us, to a Green Wedge overlay, the area has remained undeveloped. And that is how we have been able to continue for 60 years.
It's a great story, an amazing history and quite the surprise to many people who simply can't believe we exist where we do.
It is always fabulous to be able to host people at the vineyard on our open days. For those who are from interstate, we can at times accomodate a visit for you, so let us know if you are in town.
The wines on release this year are the current vintages. 2022 Isabella Chardonnay, 2021 Lily Pinot Noir, 2021 Amelia Cabernet Merlot and the 2021 Hannah Cabernet Franc Merlot. Unfortunately, no museum wines this year
2022 Isabella Chardonnay
As a fantastic follow on from the 2021 Isabella, we rather like this wine!
It has an intensity of flavour, but with structure and at the same time a delicate integrated line of control. The old vines are extremely low yielding - some vines might only produce ten bunches - however they are glorious tight bunches with delicious tasting skins that give the wine a depth of flavour without being blousy.
Ferment is not too fast, not too slow so as to capture the fruit, no malolactic fermentation and ageing is largely hands off except for careful barrel monitoring. It is drinking beautifully now, however it will age very well for many years to come.
Just four barrels made
2021 Lily Pinot Noir
The 2020 -2021 growing season was a gentle one, with no real surprises and whilst the bunches were still smaller than usual, they were little handfuls bursting with flavour. Harvest started in early March after a cooler than average February, perfect for ripening especially with the cold nights. After destemming the bunches, the grapes are transferred to small open fermenters where we hand plunge a couple of times a day. The 2021 pinot had on average 10 to 14days on skins, depending on the individual vineyard blocks and fermenters.
Then into barrel for 10 months before bottling.
With nearly 18 months in bottle the rich yet elegant Lily is really starting to show itself. Beautiful fruit flavours and tannins that we really love to see - balancing the wine to the finish.
2021 is really a lovely Lily!
Only 5 barrels made
2021 Amelia Cabernet Merlot
The 2021 Amelia is a typical Wantirna cabernet blend. The fruit is ripe, the tannins long and the palate reflects the high quality of Cabernets from this area of Australia. For us it is reminiscent of the 2015 and 2017 - ripe but not too much and with incredible ageing potential. Having a reasonably cool January and February allowed the grapes to ripen without stress and has given the wine a backbone of juicy berries flavour and crumbly soft but drying tannins.
In a tasting line up just before bottling, Reg (who is quite restrained with his superlatives), said this is one of the best we've made.
Certainly it is a wine with tremendous immediate appeal and will definitely age very well
Just 5 barrels made
2021 Hannah Cabernet Franc Merlot
The beauty of the later ripening varieties such as these is that during the critical evolution to full ripeness, the autumn like weather has begun. This gives them warm sunny days but those beautiful cool to almost cold nights. Wonderful ripening temperatures. The berries can hang on the vines, not getting so much more sugar ripe necessarily, but allowing those soft yet grainy tannins to develop. Tannins really make the backbone of these wines. The wine is in 100% new French oak, and has been bottle aged for 18months before release. The fruit is superb, the oak and grape tannins are integrated and it is just a rather delicious blend of grapes.
As usual just 1 barrel, 289 bottles made.
OPEN DAYS 2023
Saturday 7th and 14th October 10am to 4pm
Maryann 0412 589 490
RSS Feed