The 1997 VintageThistle Hill Vineyard Newsletters - Spring 1997
Greetings from Lesley and David Robertson
As promised, here is our second newsletter for this year. We will keep you up to date with what is happening at Thistle Hill and offer you four new wine releases.
The 1997 VintageGood Winter and Spring rains in 1996 gave us hope for the full recovery of our vines after the devastating drought of 1995. As is often the case in farming the weather, again was not so kind. From February 1997 the weather settled into it?s all too predictable pattern of drought and what promised to be a bountiful vintage yielded only the same 27 tonnes, from our 27 acres as 1996.
We received virtually no rain from February until August. Good rains in the last four weeks have put a smile back on our faces and even though El Nino hovers, threatening further drought, we remain as always, optimistic (though somewhat battered).
In an attempt to overcome our reliance on rainfall we have built a large dam. We started this project in 1978 when we had the Water Resources Commission draw up plans and issue a licence. As with all good plans sometimes the implementation is a little slow, but we got there in the end. The dam should take two years to fill and should provide adequate water for our existing needs and the planting of a few more hectares of vines.
Small high quality parcels of Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon were processed, with the Cabernet in particular looking outstanding. We also purchased some Semillon from Miramar and the quality of this also looks promising.
For the first time since 1989 we have produced a fortified Muscat, which looks great and is currently ageing in old oak barrels
Burnbrae Vineyard was acquired by Allan Cox and Bernard Panton just prior to the 1996 vintage. We offered them the use of our winery for the 1997 and 1998 vintages to give them a broader understanding of the wine making process and their 1997 wines are looking great. Their Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded the equivalent of a gold medal at the 1997 Mudgee Wine Show. It is encouraging to have two quality wineries in our beautiful valley, along with another four new vineyards.
Next time you visit us call in and see the improvements they have made at Burnbrae.
On Sunday the 16th of November the wineries of Mudgee will return to Parramatta Park, near the old Court House for a day of wine, food , song and art. Each winery will have an individual booth where you can taste their currently released wines and similarly to Balmoral, we are planning to have a Wine Education Marquee where various lectures on wine will be conducted. The Parramatta Wine and Food Fair will be held from 10.00 am till 4.00 pm. There is no entry fee as in previous years when the Fair was held at old Government House, however 10 tasting tickets and a tasting glass will cost $15.00.
In 1997 our wine exports continue to grow. There are no new markets however our business has been consolidated in the U.K., Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
Thistle Hill CottagePopularity for our Bed and Breakfast cottage for short term stays continues to grow. We have a fully self contained, three bedroom cottage on our vineyard which is 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 $40.00 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: (02) 63 733 546 or Fax: (02) 63 733 540.
Tasting Notes For Our Current Wines
1995 Riesling (New Release)
The 1995 Riesling has a light straw colour with a hint of green. It has a pungent Riesling bouquet and exhibits tropical fruit flavours underlined by a fresh acid finish. There is only a small amount of this wine available. Drink 1997 - 2000
1995 Semillon
The 1995 Semillon has a mid straw colour tinged with green. Tropical fruit flavours supported by American oak give this wine excellent balance. There is only a small amount of this wine left The fruit for this wine came from Huntington Estate Drink 1997 - 1998
The 1993 Chardonnay has a medium straw colour with some green hues. It is complex, with fruit and yeast characters well integrated from barrel fermentation and extended lees contact. Again supply is limited. Drink 1997 - 1999
The 1994 Pinot Noir is a crimson colour with dusty oak aromas and sweet cherry flavours which dominate the palate. Also apparent is a hint of nutmeg and other spices. There is only a small amount of this wine available. Drink 1998 - 2002
1993 Cabernet Sauvignon (New Release)
The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is a bright, warm, sunny wine. The bouquet is a classic ?cigar box? with oak also apparent on the palate. This is an old fashioned style of red with plenty of character and structure. Drink 1998 - 2003
The 1995 Zinfandel has a vibrant purple - red colour. The fruit has spicy, herbal tones with many complex flavours; cherry and rhubarb being the most obvious. There is only a limited supply of this wonderful Zingy Zinfandel. The fruit for this wine came from Cargo Road Vineyard in Orange Drink Now.
1995 Merlot (New Release)
The 1995 Merlot is a medium red colour with a bouquet dominated by vanillin oak and mulberry. The flavour is reminiscent of rich fruit cake with ripe berries and cooked plums. Again supply is limited. The fruit for this wine came from Cargo Road Vineyard in Orange. Drink 1997 - 2001.
Special Tasting Dozen Offer for our Mail Order Customers
To encourage you to try our new releases, we invite you to make up your own Thistle Hill mixed dozen. We will give you $15.00 off any dozen of our wines which contains four or more different wines. All you need to do is fill in the accompanying order form.
Our Next Releases
Over the years the situation has developed where our annual production is approximately equal to the demand for our wines. Exports are increasing significantly and this, combined with our low yields in the past three years, means that demand will greatly exceed supply. To meet this demand, in the short term, we hope to release two vintages of wine per year.
We anticipate that our next release will be in our Autumn 1998 Newsletter. We will be releasing our 1996 Riesling, 1995 Chardonnay, 1996 Merlot, 1995 Pinot Noir and 1996 Burrundulla Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon. We have only about 100 dozen of each of these wines.
Thistle Hill Vineyard
