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WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S RUGGED SOUTHWEST COASTLINE IS LITTERED WITH SHIPWRECKS, the Ringbolt is one of them, sunk in the late 1800s at Ringbolt Bay. Just off Margaret River and adjacent to Cape Leeuwin, within view of the Ringbolt shipwreck, vines planted to sandy, laterite gravel soils within the premier viticultural precinct of Wilyabrup, struggle to grow limited yields of intensely flavoured grapes. Balmy maritime winds and a long slow ripening achieve harvests of fragrantly perfumed berries, for the most splendid vintages of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.
THE SECRET TO SUCCESS AT MUD HOUSE IS IN THE WAY THAT THE TALENTED TEAM FINDS THE COURAGE TO DO THINGS IN THEIR OWN WAY. Vinification is carried out to a unique combination of techniques which have crystallized the style of the estate's racey wines. The salubrious soils and favourable growing seasons of Marlborough also play their role. An abundance of sunshine, warm dry days and cool nights, achieve a wine with an amazing range of luscious fruit characters, crisp acidity and exquisite freshness.
WHEN THE SCOTCHMANS HILL TEAM EMBARKED ON A PURSUIT TO ACQUIRE THE FINEST PARCELS OF MERLOT AND CABERNET SAUVIGNON IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, they discovered the magnificent national park of Cape Le Grand. White sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, the most magnificent wildflowers and sunbathing kangaroos were the added bonus in determining the choicest fruit.
FROM SOME OF AUSTRALIA'S FINEST SPARKLING WINE VINEYARDS, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are harvested and pressed through techniques very similiar to parent company Moët Chandon. The batches are vinified separately to maintain purity. A minimum of eighteen months on it's sedimentery lees as per Methode Traditionelle, to enhance the complexity of the wine and to emulsify the mousse with all the vibrant expressions of fruit. All of Chandon's releases are aged in their own bottle, prior to disgorgement, treatment to liqueur doseage and the final tirage.
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The Angove family
company is one of Australia's largest privately owned wine companies and stands as one of the few with strong interests in distilling as well as grape growing and winemaking
The origins of Angove's as a company have more to do with satisfying a way of life rather than a determination to establish a wine and brandy producing business. Dr. William Angove, an accomplished general practitioner and surgeon with his wife and young family, emigrated from Cornwall in 1886 to establish a medical practice in South Australia. His early experimentation with vines, winemaking and distilling, led to the establishment of a proud family business. Dr. Angove's initial plantings at the township of Tea Tree Gully in the Adelaide foothills were the forerunner of one of the largest vineyards in the southern hemisphere - the magnificent Nanya Vineyard at Renmark in South Australia's Riverland.
Early vintages of wine, a Burgundy styled dry red, from the original Tea Tree Gully vineyard proved to be popular with the local community. Steady expansion of the vineyard and the building of a winery and cellars of local stone meant that, by the turn of the century, production reached 300 tonnes of grapes from some 50 acres of land under vines. During that period the accent on red wine was gradually supplemented by the production of dry white wines as well as wines in the sherry and port styles. Stills and a large steam boiler were installed for production of fortifying spirit by Angove's eldest son, Thomas Skipper Angove, who while completing studies in Oenolegy at Roseworthy College, branched out from the family home in Tea Tree Gully and set up a distillery and processing house at Renmark in South Australia's Riverland region in 1910. Angove's enjoys wide respect for the ability to distil high quality brandyDespite the disruptions of two wars, growth of the Renmark operation progressed as well as developing a fine reputation for table and fortified wines. The renowned St. Agnes had become a hallmark for quality brandy in Australia and a number of export markets. Since World War II, the company has steadily expanded its operations and structure. The Renmark facility has grown to become a major winemaking and distilling entity with storage capacity for more than 15 million litres of wine and spirit. In 1947, Thomas William Carlyon Angove, grandson of the founder, took the helm as Managing Director, beginning a new era in development. Progressively, equipment, crushing facilities, modern winemaking plant and cooling systems have been renewed and added, enabling the company to develop methods in premium red and white table wine production. In 1983, the fourth generation of the family took control, when John Carlyon Angove succeeded his father as Managing Director of the company. John has taken up where his father left off, with increased development and investment in all aspects of the winery. From redevelopment of Nanya Vineyard to increased storage capacity and a state of the art packaging facility, all housed on the Angove Estate at Renmark. A renewed focus towards sales and marketing has seen the development of an Australian based sales force servicing the domestic trade, and expansion of Angove's export activities to the point where Angove's wines can be found in over 30 different countries around the globe.
Mystery Creek is
a progressive, niche producer of premiere New Zealand wines operating from some of the choicest soils Marlborough has on offer
Vines are planted to Horotiu sandy loam over free draining river shingle, sited on a gentle north facing slope overlooking the Waikato River. The original Chardonnay grapes were planted in 1990 and sold on contract. The winery itself was constructed in 1999 and the first vintage harvested in 2000. More recently Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah have been planted with the first harvest produced in 2005.
Mystery Creek rose from obscurity in 2001 when it was awarded Gold Medal in the Liquorland Top 100 with it's inaugural vintage Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2000. The same wine received a Silver Medal in the Royal Easter Show and a Bronze Medal in the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. The following year, the estate's Reserve Chardonnay 2001 was awarded a Silver Medal in the Liquorland Top 100. The following year, the subsequent vintage claimed Silver Medal at the Liquorland Top 100. Mystery Creek also craft the esoteric varietals rather well, the 2007 Gewurztraminer received a nomination for Best of the Best from Peter Saunders in the NZ Food & Beverage magazine. Mystery Creek 2007 Pinot Gris and the Mystery Creek 2007 Riesling, also achieved Bronze Medal status at the Royal New Zealand Show. The continuing success across the entire range in competitions and in the export and local markets, firmly places Mystery Creek Wines as the premier Waikato winery.
Situated right at
the heart of the Yarra Valley, the Train Trak vineyards yield intensely flavoured wines, reflecting the exceptional grapegrowing conditions, rich soil and ideal elevation
The Yarra Valley is one of the most renowned wine regions in Australia. It is the birthplace of Victorian vineyards, where wine has been continuously produced for over a hundred years. Train Trak relates to the railtracks which run through the property over a quaint trestle bridge. The train line, built in the 1800s was an important link to the Yarra Valley and is still a significant landmark traversing the local vineyards and pasture.
Train Trak is sited along the Healesville-Yarra Glen Rd, near the Yarra Glen Race Course. The Train Trak vineyards thrive under the Yara valley's cooler climes. In neighbouring Healesville for instance, the mean January temperature is just 19.4 degrees, lower than Bourdeaux or Burgundy in the same part of the growing season. Unless there is drought, the rain is quite constant throughout the year, with a peak in spring, annual rainfall is 910mm while in the growing season it is 400mm. There is always some threat of frost and hail, which can reduce yields, in spring and or summer. The eighteen hectares vineyard sprouts north facing vines, planted to rich clay loam soils with a moderate and ideal fertility, with an average yield one and a half to three tones/ acre, depending on variety. The vines bare Chardonnay clones P58 and I10V3, Pinot Noir clones MV6 and D5V12, Shiraz clones PT23 and Cabernet Sauvignon clones PT23SA125, all of which are exclusively hand picked. The local cool climate produces a long ripening period, resulting in a full display of flavours and balanced acidity, harvest is usually carried out March to April. The first estate vines were planted in 1995 and nurtured thereafter by the superior viticulture practices of John Evans. All wines are produced solely from estate grown hand picked grapes. Attention to vine site location, based on varietal preference, sophisticated trellis systems, canopy management and low cropping levels have resulted in exceptional wines, displaying intense varietal flavour and elegance. The winemaking reflects modern adaptations of traditional techniques, such as barrel fermentation in French oak, and gentle plunging of open top fermentors, ensuring all the intense cool climate flavours and colours are extracted.
The Hollick vineyard
and winery is located on the Neilson's Block, one of the original John Riddoch sites in the Coonawarra
Driven by quality and a hands-on approach, Hollick wines are made from three core vineyards. Neilson's Block, re-planted by Ian and Wendy Hollick in 1975, the nearby Wilgha vineyard, purchased in 1987 and the Red Ridge vineyard developed in 1998 at Wrattonbully, giving Hollick over 200 acres of vineyard in total. Eighty percent is planted to red varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. The balance of the vineyards are planted to the white varieties of Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
The first commercial wine under the Hollick label, the Cabernet Sauvignon, was released in 1983. Successful vintages followed, with wines across the Hollick range winning numerous trophies and medals at National Wine Shows, including the 1985 Jimmy Watson Trophy. Consistently producing exemplary fruit, much of its production is generally earmarked for inclusion in the Ravenswood and Neilson's Block Merlot wines. Extensive canopy renovation of the original 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon plantings was commenced in 2002. A historic cottage, which was restored by Ian and Wendy in 1983 is a feature of the entrance to the winery. Heritage listed and built in 1860, it was the birthplace of famous lyric poet John Shaw Neilson and was the original cellar door. This 12 hectare vineyard was one of the original John Riddoch selections in Coonawarra and prior to the commencement of planting in 1975 was a dairy farm. The vineyard is largely planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a small area planted to Pinot Noir. The 80 plus hectare Wilgha property was purchased by Ian and Wendy in 1987. The property featured established, dry grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz vineyards with the Shiraz today forming the backbone of the Wilgha Shiraz. The vineyard was developed steadily with the bulk of the planting occurring in 1993 and 1994. The total area under vine is 45 hectares today. This vineyard also features the Italian Block where varieties such as Sangiovese, Barbera and Nebbiolo have been trialled for their suitability in Coonawarra. The Red Ridge vineyard is located near the town of Naracoorte in the GI of Wrattonbully, which is approximately 50kms north of the Coonawarra winery. The vineyard features similar soils to Coonawarra with shallow Terra Rossa over limestone. The climate is marginally warmer than Coonawarra, facilitating grapes to ripen on average 2 weeks earlier. Ian was adamant that the climate at Red Ridge would be ideally suited to Shiraz, and with this belief planted 20 hectares of this variety in 1998. In 2000 a further 4 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and a hectare each of Tempranillo and Sangiovese were planted. |
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