New Developments at Thistle Hill
Thistle Hill Vineyard Newsletters - Spring 2000
WET! Says it all. We commissioned our new grape vine irrigation system on Saturday 2nd October, 1999, and it started raining that afternoon. Everyone in Mudgee is blaming us for the ensuing seven months of almost uninterrupted rain.
The 2000 vintage was particularly difficult. Not only was it very wet but it was also unseasonably cold. Our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir attained good levels of ripeness despite the weather and the wines are looking good. Our Cabernet Sauvignon survived the mildew inducing weather however the fruit we picked was not as ripe or richly flavoured as we would have liked. We are hoping that the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon will produce fully ripe fruit that we can blend with the less ripe 2000 vintage. The casualty of the 2000 vintage was our Riesling which developed a malady called brown rot and subsequently wasn?t picked.
Needless to say, we didn?t turn our irrigation system on again! I was going to check its operation last weekend (14th October) however we had 50 mls of rain on Thursday 12th, and another 46 mls on Wednesday 18th. It would appear that even thinking of turning on our irrigation system is enough to cause a downpour. As it stands, it is unlikely that we will have to use any irrigation this year. It seems that Botobolar?s Rain Goddess and our new irrigation system have created plenty of rain for the district.
New Developments at Thistle Hill
Our olive trees have survived their first year of organic growing, with no casualties. Last year, we planted the olive grove in front of Thistle Hill Cottage, an area of land on a gentle Northern slope. The trees at the top of the slope have flourished and have grown almost two metres from the cuttings we planted. The trees at the bottom of the slope have been sitting in water-logged soil and have made little growth. The only improvement we need to make is to install an ag drain at the bottom of the grove. It won?t be too long before you will be able to purchase organically grown, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil from our cellar door.
We have transformed the front of our winery into an all weather picnic and tasting area and have planted a new garden offering shade and colour. Our eldest daughter helped us in her university holidays by doing all the painting, showing the benefits of five years of art at high school. A friend from my school days, Richard McGoogan, helped by installing the new drainage system and we have also sealed the road from our gateway to the winery. As soon as Mudgee Council seals McDonalds Rd from the Hill End Road to our gateway, you will be able to drive from the Sydney GPO to our door without getting off the bitumen (allowing for road works of course).
Earlier this year, we joined millions of others in the cyber space race. Thistle Hill now has its own web site. You can visit us at http://www.thistlehill.com.au where our home page will direct you to current information on our vineyard, our wines, our organic status and our cottage. You can also order wine directly from our web site by reading the tasting notes on our current wines and then printing off an order form and faxing or sending it to us. You can also email us at robertsn@winsoft.net.au.
We mention on the back label of each bottle, that Thistle Hill is an organic vineyard, registered by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture in Australia (NASAA Certificate No 2211) but what does this mean? Well, it embodies a philosophy of sustainability, that what we are doing will not degrade the environment, in fact, it will enrich it. We use only natural inputs, we do not use any insecticides, weedicides or synthetic fertilisers, and our fungicidal sprays are of elemental sulphur and copper only. The wine is then made in the traditional method using sulphur dioxide to prevent oxidation and to ensure microbiological stability. The end result is a healthy product, free from any harmful, residual chemicals.
Thistle Hill Cottage
Our Bed and Breakfast cottage is still a popular place to stay with our customers. It is a fully self contained, three bedroom cottage on our vineyard, where you can enjoy absolute peace and quiet, native birds in the morning and millions of stars at night.
In the cottage, there are three double beds (one with a single bunk above it), a kitchen, a dining and a lounge room, so six or seven people can sleep quite comfortably. Accommodation includes all linen and a continental breakfast. Our rate is $60.00 for the cottage and $20.00 per person per night. Children under two are free. Bookings for the cottage can be made by contacting Thistle Hill on (02) 6373 3546.
The 1999 Riesling has a bright, sparkling, light straw colour. The aroma is of sweet tropical fruit and the palate is firm with a distinct citrus finish.
Drink 2000 - 2005
The 1998 Semillon has a mid straw colour tinged with green. It has sweet fruit flavours balanced by crisp clean acid.
Drink 1998 - 2002
The 1998 Chardonnay has a deep yellow colour with aromas of peach and apricot. The palate is complex showing fruit, oak and lime flavours.
Drink 2000 - 2002
The 1999 Pinot Noir has a mid burgundy colour and has aromas of plum, cherry and French oak. The palate is of rich fruit with a soft lingering finish.
Drink 2000 - 2004
The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep red colour showing some signs of age. It has earthy aromas mingled with fruit and American oak. The palate is complex with a blend of berry and plum fruit flavours.
Drink 1999 - 2001
The 1997 Liqueur Muscat has a light red colour. It smells and tastes of fresh Muscat grapes and aged brandy. Caramel and spice add complexity to the palate. Available in 375 ml bottles only.
Thistle Hill Vineyard
McDonalds Rd
Mudgee NSW 2850
Tel: (02) 6373 3546
Fax: (02) 6373 3540
email: robertsn@winsoft.net.au
It?s silent, that is, except for the gentle whirr of the wind in the trees and the lapping of muddy water. In the distance, I can hear birds, magpies in their laid-back afternoon conversations and a far-off ewe calling to its child.
I am sitting in my favourite place in the world. Its familiarity soaks into my skin and for the moment, I am completely happy. I am sitting under an Acacia, surrounded by wild, white lilies that seem out of place beside a dam. The murky water stretches before my eyes, opening on to a vineyard of lush, green vegetation. The sky is constantly changing. It turns from soft, blue into a Gauguin painting. Its bright pinks and oranges are reflected on the mountain, turning the landscape into a marble cake. My own surrealist backyard. The clouds in the sky transform in front of me. A clown turns into a horse and then into an angel. The angelic creature flies away.
I breathe. The smells of the country penetrate my nostrils. The smog of the city disintegrates as the country air overpowers and kills. Its fresh scent, the aftermath of rain, wafts into my head and raises my spirits. I feel alive and alert. I pick up a hand full of dust, just to hold. To hold the land I love so much between my fingers, between my hands.
An old, faded piece of string, encased in mud at my feet, forces me to remember the days when the whole family would wander down to the dam and go yabbying. The excited cries and laughter as yabby after yabby was caught. Then the barbecue and the squeals as the yabbies turned from pale pink to the brightest of red, their flesh melting in everybody?s mouths.
I remember the happy times. So much has changed, but here, in my special place, I always feel complete. I come here to escape; from the pressures of life, from demands and from deadlines. Here I can remember and imagine. Remember how things were, and imagine what is to come. Here I don?t have to live in the present, but can fulfil my dreams ... I am a princess, in love with a handsome prince. My white horse is saddled beside me and soon I shall climb gracefully onto her back and gallop off into the sunset, to my castle on a cloud.
My dreaming is interrupted as my dog nuzzles into my side, her wet nose protruding into my pillow of flesh. She bites softly into my sleeve urging me back to reality.
So I go. I leave my dreams, and resolve that I have been away too long. It is too easy to forget the security and sanctuary of my country home. I stretch my legs, stand, and begin the walk to the house at the top of the hill, where my car awaits to drive me away to boarding school again.
However, my hand still clutches the dirt, a tangible memory to hold, to hang on to, to cherish, and to protect forever.
