In our Estate Shiraz ($18) we aim to highlight fruit quality and balance. To offer a clear distinction between our Bridie’s Reserve Shiraz (see below), and the Estate wine, we blend in a parcel of McLaren Vale Shiraz (40%). This is to give the wine greater fruit depth and a contrasting flavour profile. We blend and bottle after 18 months maturation in mainly one and two year old oak hogs heads. The 2005 Estate Shiraz has an alcohol of 14.0%, a pH of 3.35, and a TA of 7.2 g/L.

Hard to believe but Budburst has arrived. As I write this newsletter the last of our vines are breaking their buds wide open and launching new shoots skyward with significant haste. The Chardonnay blocks actually started shooting on the 23rd of August, some three weeks earlier than expected, and now boast shoots carrying three leaves or more. More surprising though was the Member’s Block Ruby Cabernet; whilst it only started shooting on the 29th, its growth has been phenomenal, almost catching the Chardonnay. It must be the “unique” pruning styles employed by our dedicated squad of members! Our Vineyard Manager, Scott Ling is so far very pleased with the consistency of the budburst and the rate of growth thus far.

Sourced from a small vineyard in the Pokolbin area (Lower Hunter Valley), our harvested fruit showed outstanding varietal character and intensity of flavour. I was particularly impressed with the high skin to juice ratio of the berries, which lent themselves to a good level of flavour extraction. This ratio also meant however, that a greater level of phenolic material would be drawn through a normal press cycle. In light of this, the pressing cut was made early, and the juice was fined quite heavily prior to fermentation. Following a clean ferment, the wine was racked from yeast lees and prepared for bottle.

Wandin Valley produced its first Rosé in 2000. Since then, under three different winemakers, the style of our Rosé has understandably varied and evolved. We have however been able to develop a loyal following for the wine and often sell out well before the next vintage is available.

Our latest vintage is blend of estate grown Shiraz (45%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (55%). Juice from the Shiraz was drawn through Saignée after one or two days cold soak. All of the Cabernet, and some of the Shiraz was picked exclusively for the Rosé; it was crushed and destemmed, left to soak for three days with an enzyme addition, and then drained off the skins. Two thirds of the juice was then fermented cold, in tank, whilst the remainder underwent a full barrel ferment in new oak. The tank fermented component was racked from its lees promptly after ferment; the barrels after two weeks.

In 2007 we hand picked four parcels of Semillon for our Reserve blend. The vineyards, whilst all situated in Pokolbin, showed remarkable individual qualities due to unique soil profiles and microclimates. Each vineyard was harvested at ideal ripeness levels between 10.0 and 11.0 Baumé. Juice was racked twice to minimise solids, and then fermented cool at around 13 degrees Celsius. Post ferment, the wines were racked from their lees after a minimal settling period before blending, and finally bottling just two months after harvest.

This is the first Semillon Wandin Valley has produced from a single parcel of fruit. Each year we harvest our Semillon vineyards at varying sugar levels to produce a more complete wine with a fuller flavour spectrum. In 2006 one block of fruit from a vineyard on Oaky Creek Rd in Pokolbin showed unique varietal expression and great flavour. We decided to pick this vineyard later than the others and to not adjust the acid pre-ferment. This meant that the resulting wine, with its higher alcohol (11.0%) and lower acid (6.0 g/L), proved to be eminently drinkable. Considering those consumers that find the more traditional guise of young Hunter Semillon too challenging we decided to release the wine six months later than usual to really enhance its overall appeal. Without resorting to obvious sugar additions to soften the palate, we are hoping this style of wine will show another side to the Semillon grape, and encourage less educated wine consumers to experience the virtues of this fantastic variety and perhaps move on to our blended Reserve Semillon which fits the more traditional mold of Hunter Valley Semillon.