We are excited to announce the release of two new wines. These being the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from Orange and the 2016 ‘Olivia’ Chardonnay from Beechworth. Both wines are now available online and are ready for spring and summer.
The 2016 Chardonnay takes the name Olivia after Nanna Olive. This wine was the only wine produced in 2016 following a wet vintage in the Hunter on top of a mini-tornado causing damage to the Alpine Valleys Shiraz fruit shortly before being picked. We are incredibly happy with the quality of the Chardonnay and would like to thank winemaker Jo Marsh for the work that has gone into it.
There was only 1.1t of fruit picked that filled two French Oak barrels, one being new, meaning only 70 dozen are up for sale. This wine is drinking well now but definitely has cellaring potential. This wine is available online for $38 per bottle and with only 70 dozen available, this will be one worth cellaring and bringing out in a few years!
We have also just released the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from Orange. This was the first fruit we have sourced from Orange and the first time releasing a Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was made under the direction of Ashley Horner and is perfect for the coming spring and summer.
We have done some pre-release tastings at the Port Hedland Court House Gallery Long Table Dinner and the VIP bar at the North West Festival and the response has been very positive. This is a perfect wine to share with friends and family at barbeques and around the pool or beach.
The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from Orange has already been released and is already proving a hit with all of those that have had the opportunity to taste before release. Given the response we have received it is anticipated this will be produced again in the 2018 Vintage.
2018 Halliday Wine Companion Reviews
We were pleasantly surprised with the ratings we received in the release of the latest edition of the James Halliday Wine Companion. We obtained a 4.5 Star Winery Rating and the following individual wine reviews: – 94 Points – 2014 Hunter Valley Semillon – 94 Points – 2012 Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 Points – 2013 Beechworth Chardonnay – 92 Points – 2014 Hunter Valley Shiraz – 92 Points – 2014 Hunter Valley Shiraz Viognier – 90 Points – 2014 Hunter Valley Viognier – 89 Points – 2014 Alpine Valleys Shiraz All of these wines are still available online and some will shortly be available on the Dan Murphy’s Online Store. A reminder to sign up to our Mailing List to receive your 10% discount coupon for all online sales.2017 Vintage Recap
We increased production in 2017 and aim to expand our portfolio with a total of 4 wines being produced comprising of an Alpine Valleys Shiraz, Chardonnay and Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Chardonnay being made by Jo Marsh at her new winery in Ovens. We also produced a Sauvignon Blanc from Orange under the direction of winemaker Ashley Horner in the Hunter. The fruit for the Shiraz was again sourced from Con Mara Vineyard in Whorouly South in the Alpine Valleys. 2.5t were picked and I (Callan) was lucky enough to be in the winery when it was pressed of into barrel. Two new puncheons were used with the remaining oak being 1-3 year old barrels. Early indications are that the fruit is of similar or better quality than the 2015 Vintage that managed to win gold at the Northeast Victorian Wine Challenge. The Shiraz will spend a total of around 12-15 months in oak with bottling around September 2018. The fruit for both the Chardonnay and Blanc de Blancs sparkling base was sourced from Greenachres Vineyard in the Alpine Valleys. The fruit picked will yield approximately 70 dozen Chardonnay and 100 dozen sparkling. We are opting to use Method Traditional for the Sparkling with bottling and triaging due in the next month then we are expecting approximately 3-4 on lees with an indicative release date of 2020/2021. The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from Orange has already been released and is already proving a hit with all of those that have had the opportunity to taste before release. Given the response we have received it is anticipated this will be produced again in the 2018 Vintage. We increased production in 2017 and aim to expand our portfolio with a total of 4 wines being produced comprising of an Alpine Valleys Shiraz, Chardonnay and Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Chardonnay being made by Jo Marsh at her new winery in Ovens. We also produced a Sauvignon Blanc from Orange under the direction of winemaker Ashley Horner in the Hunter. The fruit for the Shiraz was again sourced from Con Mara Vineyard in Whorouly South in the Alpine Valleys. 2.5t were picked and I (Callan) was lucky enough to be in the winery when it was pressed of into barrel. Two new puncheons were used with the remaining oak being 1-3 year old barrels. Early indications are that the fruit is of similar or better quality than the 2015 Vintage that managed to win gold at the Northeast Victorian Wine Challenge. The Shiraz will spend a total of around 12-15 months in oak with bottling around September 2018. The fruit for both the Chardonnay and Blanc de Blancs sparkling base was sourced from Greenachres Vineyard in the Alpine Valleys. The fruit picked will yield approximately 70 dozen Chardonnay and 100 dozen sparkling. We are opting to use Method Traditional for the Sparkling with bottling and triaging due in the next month then we are expecting approximately 3-4 on lees with an indicative release date of 2020/2021.
The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from Orange has already been released and is already proving a hit with all of those that have had the opportunity to taste before release. Given the response we have received it is anticipated this will be produced again in the 2018 Vintage.