Our Year So
Far
Thistle Hill Vineyard Newsletters - Spring 1992
Greetings from Lesley and David Robertson
This year has really rushed past and suddenly we find it is time for our next newsletter. In this newsletter we are releasing four new wines: the 1991 Rhine Riesling; the 1991 Chardonnay; the 1989 Pinot Noir and the 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our Year So
Far
Over Winter, the vines were chilled by cold nights and frosty mornings and the occasional sleety snow storm. Our usual Winter rains did not arrive, so our vines need a wet Spring or frequent Spring and Summer showers. Bud burst was a week late this year due primarily to a cooler than normal September.
The vines are now covered in a profusion of lime green leaves, shooting skywards, and our Spring cultivation program is under way. This is a most exciting time in the vineyard, when the vines are growing vigorously and need our full attention. We are very optimistic about our 1993 Vintage.
When you next visit us, you will notice that we have completely renovated our tasting area. We now have an open airy tasting room with a view over the grape vines and rolling hills. Our serving bench is a focal point; constructed of oregon and corrugated iron and designed by Peter Laws of Beecroft.
After our successful 1992 Vintage Celebration Dinner on 7th March this year, we have decided to celebrate our 1993 Vintage in similar style.
Next year?s event will be held on Saturday 13th March, commencing at 4.30 pm. We will start the afternoon with a vineyard walk and sampling of the fruit on the vine, followed by a ?blessing? of the grapes, and a tour of the winery showing all the features of the winemaking process. At 6.00 pm we will conduct a formal vertical tasting of all Thistle Hill?s Chardonnays from 1984 to 1993, after which we will have aperitifs followed by a gourmet dinner in a candle-lit marquee.
Our caterer this year is Kim Currie from Rylstone who is already planning an exciting menu. Kim?s fresh country approach to cooking was described in an article in the Oct / Nov 1992 edition of ?Australian Country Style? magazine.
The price per person which includes all activities, food and wine is $65.00. Last year?s dinner was booked out very early, so if you decide to come along please make an early booking by contacting us on Phone (063) 733 546 or Fax (063) 733 540.
On May 21st, in the Northern Herald, Huon Hooke described some of the Mudgee wines he had tasted at our Appellation Society Wine Dinner in Parramatta in May. He was particularly impressed with the red wines, and especially the 1988 Thistle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, which he described as ?exceptional?. ?Quite complex, it has superb blackcurrant Cabernet flavour underneath smoky, toasty oak?. We only have small quantities left of this wine, so if you would like to order some at $13.50 a bottle or $160.00 a case, then please do so now to avoid disappointment.
In the Oct / Nov 1992 edition of ?Vogue Entertaining?, Mudgee is described as ?The Quiet Achiever? by wine writer Greg Duncan Powell. He says that ?Mudgee wines have been misunderstood ... people have visions of gutsy reds and Mudgee mud .... in reality, Mudgee has honeyed whites and stylish reds?. Mr Duncan Powell chose Thistle Hill?s 1991 Rhine Riesling as the best Rhine Riesling in Mudgee, and Thistle Hill?s 1989 Pinot Noir as the best Pinot Noir in Mudgee. Both these wines are released in this newsletter.
Robin Bradley in his 1993 Wine Diary devotes August 1993 to the Mudgee region. He mentions that Mudgee wines are ?not nearly as well known as they deserve to be?, but does mention Thistle Hill as a ?superstar?. For each wine area, he selected his five ?best? wines, and for the Mudgee region, three of these are from Thistle Hill ... our Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
James Halliday in his 1992 Wine Diary mentions Thistle Hill as part of his December winery write-ups. He describes us as ?arguably one of the most underrated wineries in the district, if not Australia? and writes very favourable comments about our Chardonnay and Cabernet.
Thistle Hill entered two regional wine shows this year. The 1992 Mudgee Wine Show, held in September, resulted in one gold medal and nine bronze medals. The gold medal was won by our 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was also awarded the Chairmans Trophy for the best wine of the show, over 5 years old. This is an indication that our wines, especially our reds, mature gracefully in the bottle.
In October 1992, the Golden West Wine Fest was held for the first time in Forbes, N.S.W. The show was only open to Small Wineries and Thistle Hill?s 1988 Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded the Best Red Wine of the Show.
Mudgee's September Wine Festival. Our Wine Festival in September was a great success. Many new customers visited us, not only to sample our wines, but also to visit our Art and Craft Exhibition in the winery. We had a lovely display of watercolour and oil paintings, hand-made cards and paper, wooden toys and games, pottery and hand-made crafts for sale. We also provided lunch for our customers. Lunch consisted of ?cook-your-own? chicken and beef kebabs, salads, damper and a glass of wine. There was also a selection of home made cakes to have with tea and coffee. Everyone who came to Thistle Hill during the wine festival seemed to have a wonderful time and the weather was kind to us, so we hope to repeat all of these activities next September.
In our Autumn newsletter, we told you about our cottage at Thistle Hill which is available for bed and breakfast accommodation. The cottage has proved to be very popular, and since we opened it in May there have been only three weekends when it hasn?t been booked! Our guests have enjoyed the view, the peace and quiet, the stars at night and the sounds of birds in the morning. It is a three bedroom cottage with two double beds, a double bunk, kitchen, dining and lounge so it can sleep six people comfortably. Accommodation includes all linen and a continental breakfast and our rates are $30.00 per adult, per night, bed and breakfast, and $10.00 per child. Bookings can be made by contacting Thistle Hill by phone: (063) 733 546 or fax: (063) 733 540.
Colour: Light yellow - green.
Bouquet: Intense and floral, with strong lime and toasty aromas.
Palate: This is a richly flavoured wine with intense citrus flavours. It has a crisp acid finish and a long lingering after taste. Chosen by ?Vogue Entertaining? as the best Rhine Riesling in Mudgee. Drink 1992 - 1995
Colour: Light to medium yellow.
Bouquet: Very complex with fruit aromas of fig, apricot and peach against a background of nutmeg and oak.
Palate: Exceptionally rich with honeyed fruit flavours blending with strong oak. Drink 1992 - 1996
Colour: Full burgundy.
Bouquet: Rich spicy plum aromas with mint and oak also apparent.
Palate: Strong plum flavours with sappy varietal fruit character. The oak is well integrated in this very well structured wine. Chosen by ?Vogue Entertaining? as the best Pinot Noir in Mudgee. Drink 1993 - 1996
Colour: Deep red purple, sparkling and clear.
Bouquet: Rich mint and blackberry with cedary oak.
Palate: A wine with mouth filling flavours of rich dark berries and excellent oak integration. This is a powerful wine with strong tannins and the potential to cellar for decades. Chosen by ?Winestate? Magazine as the best Cabernet in the $10.00 - $15.00 range in a Cabernet Sauvignon tasting conducted in September 1992. Drink 1993 - 1997
Colour: Youthful medium red-purple, bright and sparkling.
Bouquet: Rich and clean with spicy dark berry aromas and a touch of mint.
Palate: Peppery dark berry flavours and persistent tannins with fine, lemony oak. This is a well structured wine which will mature gracefully. Drink 1994 - 1998
To encourage you to try our new releases, we have put together a tasting dozen consisting of:
2 1991 Rhine Riesling
3 1991 Chardonnay
2 1989 Pinot Noir
3 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon, and
2 1990 Shiraz
for the special price of $120.00, saving $19.00! You can order this tasting dozen, or any of our wines, on the accompanying order form.
