Hooded Plover, Chardonnay/Semillon 2009

The Estate

We scoured SE Australia this year for a suitable juice with which to put together our first own-label Australian blend. We toured NSW, Victoria and S Australia exploring and tasting in the Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Heathcote, Bendigo, Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra, Mount Benson, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and more. The diversity of styles from region to region and the quality of wines, most of which we haven’t seen on the Irish market, is very encouraging. On a negative, thousands of acres of vineyards, chiefly in Hunter Valley, are being dug up. A legacy of some of the big brands in their search for quantity to meet market demand. After this trip, we are much more conscious of regional wines.

Our entry level Hooded Plover (Reservas and single regionalised varietals to follow) are a reflection of the quality of wines available at this level if we search hard enough. The grapes are sourced in NSW.

Vintage Report

The lead up to the 2009 vintage represented normal timing with regard to the ripening of different varieties until a heatwave in late January, when the grapevines simply shut down to protect the quality of the fruit. As weather patterns moderated closer to harvest, with minimal rainfall, the grapes ripened more steadily. The fruit arrived at the winery with excellent clean fruit flavours. Overall, the yields were slightly less than expected but the quality of the fruit was very pleasing with pronounced varietal characters

Vinification

To maintain fruit freshness, harvest took place in the cool of the night. The grapes were immediately crushed and must-chilled. The juice was drained with only the premium free fun juice being used in order to bring out the freshest, purest flavours of the grapes. State of the art technology was used to clarify the juice prior to fermentation in order to retain the maximum amount of fruit freshness. The resulting juice was then racked for fermentation using an aromatic yeast to enhance the wine. Fermentation was carried out between 10-15oC for 15 days. The wine was stabilised and filtered and bottled early to retain the natural fruit freshness.