The 1994 Vintage Thistle Hill Vineyard Newsletters - Spring 1994
Greetings from Lesley and David Robertson
1994 is rushing past at an alarming rate so we thought we should write and tell you what has been happening at Thistle Hill. This is also a good opportunity to tell you about our new wine releases.
The 1994 Vintage Having experienced no damaging hail storms in the eighteen years we have been growing grapes at Thistle Hill, Mother Nature decided in 1994 that it was to be our turn. We experienced three small hail storms during October which knocked off some of the buds and damaged some of the young shoots. Then in January, we had the ?Mother of all hail storms?, where a path of destruction weaved through our vineyard, stripping the vines of foliage and fruit. Nearby properties were also damaged; one house roof caved in and numerous steel water tanks were holed. Some of the hail stones were as big as golf balls and it was a very frightening experience.
The hail damage to the vines, combined with the hot dry bushfire weather early in January, were certainly not ideal conditions leading into vintage. However some sporadic rain in February helped to ripen the grapes and ensured the fruit was of excellent quality.
Although in 1994 we only picked half our normal tonnage, the wines are showing excellent fruit flavours and good structure and balance. We are watching their development with great interest.
Unfortunately, the February thunderstorms were the last we saw of the rain. We have not had a substantial fall of rain during Autumn or Winter, and as we have no irrigation for our grapes, this has had a severe impact on the growth of our vines.
With no rain for nine months and little prospect of any falling this Spring, we have removed every second shoot from all our vines. This means that although we have effectively removed half our crop, the remaining fruit will have a chance of maturing.
If good rains are not received by mid December, we will need to remove half the remaining fruit and the growing tips from the vine shoots to reduce the vine?s need for water. If we still don?t receive good rains by mid February, we will need to remove the remainder of the fruit to ensure the vine?s survival for the 1996 season.
It is very easy to become despondent at our current outlook, however, we have enjoyed eleven terrific seasons since the last major drought in 1983, and so we are philosophical about what lies ahead of us this year.
Since we became certified as Level A Organic by NASAA (the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture in Australia), many people have asked us what it means to be organic. The most important consideration in being organic is to have a philosophy which takes into account the whole ecology, and not simply the vineyard. This means that we have an ongoing programme of tree planting, soil restoration and improvement, and the restoration of the land to as natural a state as possible.
On our vineyard, we do not use any herbicide, weedicide, insecticide or pesticide. For fungus diseases we spray only wettable sulphur and Bordeaux mixture, which contains copper. As a result, we have a very healthy environment for both plant life and wild life on our vineyard. We have a large resident population of insect eating birds, frill necked lizards, echidnas and bees as well as the occasional roaming deer.
We are very excited to announce a change in both our logo and our wine labels to reflect both our elegant wines and our organic image. The Germanic eagle has been replaced by a bold natural graphic of thistle florets against a background silhouette of a hill. The front label will be simple and elegant and we will add a back label which will give some information about the vineyard and the wine. Many thanks to Allen and Dany Raponi of The Studio, Leura, who designed our new look. The new logo is at the top of this newsletter and the new wine labels will start to appear in 1995.
Thistle Hill held two gourmet dinners in March 1994 to celebrate the 1994 grape picking season, commonly known as ?vintage?. These very popular dinners took place on Saturday 12th March, and Saturday 19th March, in a candle lit marquee and although the nights were unseasonably cold, everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. Unfortunately, due to the cloud hanging over next year?s vintage, we have decided not to hold any vintage celebration dinners in 1995. This has been an agonising decision, however, we believe it to be the right one under the circumstances.
Thistle Hill Cottage is a fully self contained, three bedroom cottage on our vineyard which is available for bed and breakfast accommodation. It?s a lovely spot to wind down from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you can enjoy the peace and quiet; the birds in the morning and the stars at night.
In the cottage there are two double beds, a double bunk, kitchen, dining and lounge so six people can sleep quite comfortably. Accommodation includes all linen and a continental breakfast and our rates are $35.00 per adult, per night, bed and breakfast, and $20.00 per child. There are also discounts for longer stays. Bookings for the cottage can be made by contacting Thistle Hill by Phone: (063) 733 546 or Fax: (063) 733 540.
Tasting Notes For Our Current Wines Colour: Light yellow, tinged with green.
Bouquet: The honeyed, floral aroma is supported by cinnamon and lemon blossom.
Palate: This is a full flavoured Riesling with good structure. The flavour is quite complex with honeycomb and lime dominant. There is a crisp, dry finish and a lingering after-taste. Drink 1994 - 1996
Colour: Mid straw with some green hues.
Bouquet: Complex with yeast, peach and oak aromas.
Palate: Quite complex with grapefruit, melon and peach flavours balanced by cashew nut and charred oak. A smooth creamy wine due in part to the malo-lactic and barrel fermentation. Drink 1994 - 1996
Colour: Vibrant medium burgundy.
Bouquet: Very stylish, rich concentrated plum and lively maceration character with spicy, integrated oak.
Palate: Full flavoured showing plum and sweet gamey characters with good structure and a firm, astringent finish. Drink 1994 - 1997
1990 Cabernet Sauvignon
Colour: Deep red and purple.
Bouquet: Strong lifted fruit aromas pervade the senses. Blackberry and mulberry are most apparent with blackcurrant and blueberry also discernible.
Palate: This is a forceful wine making a definite statement. The full spectrum of rich, dark berry flavours are apparent. Oak and fruit tannins add firmness to the wine and chocolate flavours add complexity. Drink 1994 - 1998
To encourage you to try our new releases, we have put together a tasting dozen consisting of:
3 1992 Rhine Riesling
3 1992 Chardonnay
3 1991 Pinot Noir, and
3 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon
for the special price of $132.00, saving over $17.00! You can order this tasting dozen, or any of our wines, on the accompanying order form.
We also have limited stocks of some older wines which are still available. Orders for these will be filled on a first in first served basis.
1991 Rhine Riesling ($10.95 per bottle, $127.00 per dozen)
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? in Oct/Nov 1992 as the best Rhine Riesling in Mudgee.
1991 Chardonnay ($13.95 per bottle, $162.00 per dozen)
This is a complex, rich wine, with aromas of fig, honey and peach against a background of nutmeg and oak.
1989 Cabernet Sauvignon ($14.95 per bottle, $174.00 per dozen)
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 an Australia wide Cabernet Sauvignon tasting conducted in September 1992.
If you would like to order any of these older wines, then fill in your requirements on the blank lines on the order form provided.
Thistle Hill Vineyard
