News and Views

January wine reviews

We've had a great start to 2008 with a couple of very positive wine reviews from Tyson Stelzer (WBM Top 100) and Chris Shannahan (Sunday Canberra Times). Both make comment to the terrific value all our wines are.

Wine Business Magazine Top 100 91 Points $17.00: "I had to wade throught an ocean of Aussie Merlot dross before I found this beauty, and look at the price!..." read review

Sunday Canberra Times: "Merlot is out of favour in some quarters now, perhaps because so many Australian attempts at the style tend to be green and hard or overburdened with oak or tannin. But this one - enjoyed twice in the last year - displays what good fruit, gently handled can do..." read review

The winemakers diary - January 2008

Well, the new year is here and the season continues. We all enjoyed a brief break over the festive season but we were all quickly back at work. Some rain at Christmas and some regional reports of mildew had Ed and Dave constantly checking the vineyard. They have been incredibly vigilant and it has paid off with the vineyard looking a picture of health.

Even if you manage to avoid the stress of disease in the vineyard there is always the equipment to give you nightmares. The tractor has been a constant source of annoyance for Ed lately with multiple flat tyres, then the grass slasher broke down and then a wheel came off the spray cart! It’s really handy having a trained engineer in the family. Ed’s level of commitment is extraordinary. During the running repairs of the slasher he twisted his arm into an awkward position and dislocated his shoulder. But he quickly knocked the joint back into place and finished the job.

In stark contrast to last season, the foliage of the vines needed a trim to allow greater sunlight penetration onto the bunches to aid ripening and also improve air circulation to prevent a build up of humidity which increases disease pressure. The vines have all but stopped growing for the season as their focus turns to ripening the fruit. The Shiraz next to the winery is just completing veraison – the change of colour. The bunches have now started to colour up into their familiar dark purple robe. The same is happening in the Shiraz and the Merlot in our other vineyard - the Phalaris Vineyard, which is about a kilometre way but on the same property. The Cabernet won’t be far behind.

There has been plenty to do in the winery as well. We are preparing our export blends for bottling at the end of the month. Printhie Wines are seeing good potential in the USA. We have sent small quantities over there in 2007 but 2008 looks very promising with the potential for a significant market to open up for us in Texas. This will add to greater market presence that already exists in some of the eastern states such as Georgia and Virginia. During 2007 we also exported to Denmark and Fiji. We hope that these markets continue to grow for us as well during 2008.

Once the bottling is out of the way our attention will turn to the imminent harvest. The countdown is on and I’m really looking forward to working with the great fruit that Printhie vineyard and our contracted growers produce.

Cheers
Drew Tuckwell
Winemaker

Wine feature - Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc has captured the hearts of wine drinkers the world over. Despite Sancerre and Pouilly Fume in France’s Loire Valley being its ancestoral home, it was New Zealand that really put in on the map. Now every self-respecting wine producing country is trying to grab a slice of the ever-growing global market.

Despite New Zealands market leading reputation, Australia can do a pretty good job with Sauvignon Blanc as well. Margaret River can produce a pretty aromatic, herbal style and the Adelaide Hills has a good reputation for more complex fruit driven wines. However, Orange sees itself as a potential leader of the variety in Australia with the ability to produce wines that exhibit a kind of hybrid flavour profile between the grassy and the tropical.

At Printhie we source Sauvignon Blanc from about as high up the slopes of Mount Canobolas that vineyards are planted at just over 1,000m elevation. The climate is cool and distinctly wetter than the Printhie Vineyard – ideal conditions for Sauvignon Blanc.

The current release has been very well received with food and wine guru Lyndey Milan giving it a rave recommendation and the Union Bank Bar in Orange selling case after case to the local clientel. However, at Printhie we are constantly challenge ourselves and we would really like to continue to evolve the style and quality of this already very good wine. With adjustments in ripeness at picking, trialling newly available yeasts, and gentler handling in the winery we hope to raise the level yet again in the coming vintage.

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DECEMBER ARTICLES

News and Views

January wine reviews

The winemakers diary - January 2008

Wine feature - Sauvignon Blanc

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