News

Best Red Wine at Limestone Coast Wine Show

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2002 We are pleased to introduce a new addition to the Hollick range and a new star. Somewhat unusual for a Coonawarra producer, the 2002 Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon is the first release of a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon in the core Hollick range since the Jimmy Watson winning 1984 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine was the star of the Limestone Coast wine show, and was awarded three trophies for the Best Cabernet, Best Red and Best Wine of the show!

Our vineyard manager Stuart Sharam received the Arthur Hoffman Trophy, as the viticulturalist responsible for the Best Wine of the show and a $5,000 voucher to study viticulture compliments of Gregoire Harvesters. Congratulations Stuart! It was a big night for the awards which was held in the Hollick barrel shed as the 2002 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon received the trophy for the Best Blended Red of the show.

With our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards now showing greater age and maturity, we are now presented with an increasing quantity of high standard material to select from each vintage. Thus we have been able to select some exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon fruit without compromising the quantity of Ravenswood that we produce or the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.

The wine is a classic Coonawarra Cabernet showing intense cassis fruit flavours, with a long finish on the palate and supported by a soft tannin structure. The wine was matured in a combination of French and American oak, of which about 50% were new barrels adding to the wine's structure. It's almost black in colour and still a baby, but it reflects the high quality of the 2002 vintage and is destined to become a classic.

Apart from its show success, it's already being well received by the critics, including this lofty praise from 'Winestate' Nov/Dec 2004 issue:

"Youthful dark berry fruit and cedary oak aromas backed by subtle undercurrents of tar and anise. Medium-bodied in the mouth with a dense, chewy selection of cassis and berry fruits wrapped in delicious oak."

What's on Upstairs?

Poolaijelo Pink Veal

Poolaijelo is about 25kms North-East of the winery and also the home of local veal producers David and Jeanette Fisher. They have been researching and trialing the production of high quality pink veal for the local and export restaurant trade for the past four years, with Jeanette heading overseas in 2003 on a Churchill Fellowship to study production methods in Europe.

Following a regional cuisine workshop held by the Limestone Coast Food Group earlier in the year, the team from 'Upstairs at Hollick' expressed their interest in purchasing a supply of this best quality milk fed veal. As a result Hollick have been the first in the Limestone Coast to feature Poolaijelo Pink Veal on the menu. Dishes that have appeared on the menu include:

Veal liver with sage mash, smokey bacon and onion jam
Veal silverside corned with mash, cabbage and mustard
Veal mince meatballs with linguine and mushrooms
Veal topside schnitzel with seasonal vegetables
Veal Saltimbocca with polenta

Hot Summer Night with John Waters

Hollick Wines will be hosting a concert for one night only with John Waters on Saturday January 22 in the winery.

John Waters created and recently starred in the hit stage show Looking Through a Glass Onion which was successfully played in the West End of London. His television career has included several outstanding series such as Rush, Fireflies, The Sullivans and All The Rivers Run.

The cabaret style evening will be held in the Hollick barrel shed where a lavish three course meal prepared by the 'Upstairs' team will be served prior to the concert.

'Hot Summer Night' promises to be a great opportunity to partner some sensational music with great food and fine wines.

Tickets are $120 per person, and are available on a first come basis.

Please call the Penola Visitor Information centre on 8737 2855 for assistance with accommodation.

'Upstairs' Produce

The chefs 'Upstairs' have been extra busy lately preparing unique produce available for sale in Cellar Door. All the produce is made on the premises from local ingredients, and using our wines. Produce that is currently available includes:

Cabernet and Merlot Jelly. The chefs suggest serving this with cheeses, hot buttered English muffins or added to sauces and gravies for meat dishes or accompanied with roast lamb or turkey.
Chardonnay Lees Mustard
Local Marinated Olives
Preserved lemons. Suggested uses: flavouring for seafood or chicken dishes, flavour for rice or pasta.
Balsamic Glaze
Kasundi - Indian style tomato relish. Suggested uses: add to curries or use as a condiment for cold meats and great with chicken or seafood.

Press Review

The restaurant, with roomy outdoor deck, is bright and breezy; a handsome limestone bar dominates the back corner, wooden chairs are upholstered in grey or plum (of a suitably wine-infused hue). Staff are swift, attentive and all smiles and our handful of fellow early diners appears very relaxed. The well-priced menu promises a hotchpotch of suitably hearty fare and a good children's selection including wood-fired pizza, fish and chips and Scotch fillet.We peruse the specials board and toy with the idea of the pearl barley broth with duck tortellini, or perhaps some oysters snuggled under a gratin duvet of pecorino and cream...The large wine list is excellent -- a full page of Hollick wines (all by the glass or bottle); a page of other wines, Coonawarra- centric but ranging across Australia and abroad.

Rapt Among the Vines' - Christine McCabe, The Weekend Australian, Oct. 9-10.

New Releases

2002 Cabernet Franc

Ian and Wendy planted an acre of Cabernet Franc in both 1983 and 1985 with the intention of it forming a minor portion of the Cabernet Merlot blend, like many great Bordeaux wines. Cabernet Franc typically displays a soft tannin profile and shows perfumed fruit aromas, which add to the aromatic complexity of the finished wine. As with all the components of the Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend, each parcel is kept separate until the final blend is assembled. The 2002 Cabernet Franc was an immediate candidate for bottling as a single varietal. Although we had been very pleased with all of the recent Cabernet Francs, this wine displayed not only the sexy bouquet of the variety, but also greater intensity. It's drinking well today, but will cellar well for 5 or so years. We've only bottled 200 cases, and again it's exclusively available to Cellar Door and Mail Order customers.

2003 Sparkling Merlot

The Merlot crops were so small in 2002 that we were unable to make a Sparkling Merlot from that vintage, but we are pleased to say that yields in 2003 were a little more generous. This one is a mouth full of vibrant cherry and violet infused Merlot fruit with hallmark silky mouthfeel and some added complexity from the liquering process. It has truly become a Hollick icon, and despite a few me-too products sneaking on to the market in recent times, ours is the original and best! As we always espouse, don't be afraid to tuck a few away under the bed, as they really develop wonderful complexity with fruit cake over tones with 5 to 10 years in the cellar. We have eked out a few 95 and 96 vintage wines through cellar door in recent times, and all that have tried them have been giving rave reviews. Sparkling Merlot really is the most sublime match with the Christmas Turkey and adds to the festive ambience of the day. Don't just take our word for it!

2004 'The Nectar' Botrytis

The 2004 'The Nectar' is produced from 100% botrytised Coonawarra Riesling. Typical Autumn fogs encouraged the development of botrytis on the Riesling fruit in the Wilgha vineyard. The fruit was then allowed to hang until early June by which time the grapes showed considerable botrytis infection and associated dehydration. Another top vintage of this wine with alluring apricot and marmalade botrytis overtones, together with Riesling varietal citrus characters. Amazingly intense wine, and although quite sweet, there's good acidity so that it's not at all cloying and finishes dry. Perfect with soft cheeses.This always sells very quickly, so don't hesitate.

Varietal Trial Wines - still available

These wines are exclusively for Cellar Door and Mail Order customers. We still have a few cases remaining of the Petit Verdot and Hollaia Sangiovese Cabernet.

2002 Petit Verdot

Very pure Petit Verdot varietal flavours with characteristic tannin structure. Delightful anise laced fruit flavours, and will cellar well.

2003 "Hollaia" Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon

Inspired by the great Super Tuscan wines this 60/40 blend shows ripe cherry fruit with trademark savoury nuances. A great food wine, and will not suffer from a couple of years cellaring.

Press Reviews

2004 Riesling

Winestate Nov/Dec 2004

"Delicate floral and talcum powder aromas with a pretty citrus confection note. Delivers plenty of punchy lime and musk flavours yet retains an elegant sense of proportion on the palate."

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Nick Stock, The Adelaide Review, Sept. 28
With trademark mint and leaf, this looks much more Cabernet than Merlot and right in the Coonawarra style. Merlot adds a lighter fragrant dimension to the wine with hints of liquorice and berry fruit, a little juniper too."

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Fergus McGhie Canberra Times, Sept. 21
It's berry fruit aromas of blackcurrant and blueberries from the Cabernet pair beautifully with the soft plum and chocolate flavours of the Merlot."

2002 Wilgha Shiraz

Winestate Nov/Dec

A complex nose offering sweet, lifted fruits wrapped in toasty wood. Plenty of pretty clove and pepper spice flavours on the silky textured palate."

2002 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

Herald Sun, August 24 A medium-bodied dry red with a neat blend of sweet and savoury flavours which will complement rather than dominate a meal. A charming wine of modest presence."

News in Brief

Coonawarra to London

Ian and Wendy, together with fellow vignerons the Bowens, Balnaves and Innes (Rymill) headed off en masse during September for a 'Stars of Coonawarra' tasting in London on September 5. The tasting was a roaring success that featured the small family-owned vignerons of the district, and was attended by the UK trade and media, including leading media identities Jancis Robinson and Matthew Jukes. Jancis' impressions published in the influential Financial Times are here...

Coonawarra Tasting in London - Jancis Robinson, The London Financial Times, October 9/10

"What made the recent Coonawarra tasting so special was that it was convened by four of the finest family companies operating there ? Balnaves, Bowens, Hollicks and Rymill ? whose owners were all on their way to a week together at Anne Willan?s chateau in Burgundy, so a holiday rather than commercial atmosphere prevailed. But it was the wines themselves that shone most brightly ? especially those from the stunning 2000 vintage. Good quality Coonawarra Cabernet sings out with all the confidence of a wine made from vines grown just in the right place for them. The wines seemed so different from the ubiquitous Australian brands. There was a real core of fruit and interest, no excess ripeness or sweetness, and such acidity and tannin as there were seemed well integrated."

New Assistant Winemaker - Matt Caldersmith

Please join us in welcoming new Assistant Winemaker Matt Caldersmith to the winemaking team. He replaces Brooke Blair, who has headed off to pursue real cool-climate winemaking in Canada.

Before taking up the position at Hollick, Matt, his wife Megan and their two young children were based in Denmark, WA where Matt was the assistant winemaker at the highly rated Forest Hill Vineyards.

Matt originally hails from Adelaide where he completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Oenology) degree at Adelaide University with first class honours. During his study, Matt supplemented theory with practical experience in the cellar at Petaluma and Rosemount wines. Matt has already demonstrated that he is a keen surfer and has braved the arctic conditions at Robe and Port MacDonnell most weekends since his arrival.

We wish Matt and his family the very best.