News

Thank you all for your support in 2005 - Ian, Wendy and the entire team extend to you our very best wishes for the festive season... and don't forget to chill your Sparkling Merlot to partner the Christmas turkey. ~ A small reminder, as the volume of freight and post grows leading up to Christmas, freight times increase so be sure to get your order in promptly.

New vintage and livery for Tempranillo

We made only a barrel or two of the 2001 and 2003 vintages of Tempranillo, and finally in 2004 the conditions were perfect and we have been able to make a decent volume of this wine. To celebrate we have rolled out the new livery for the Tempranillo to reflect that it is no longer on "Trial" and is now worthy of its own special place in our portfolio. The HOLLAIA will also receive this label and the range will be known as the "Exotics".

As we have trumpeted with previous vintages, this is a great drinking wine made for food. It is medium-bodied and displays an opulent, velvety texture. The flavours are quite savoury and like the good examples from Spain, has an orange rind element to the fruit. Delicious and ready to go, although may be worth laying down for three to five years.

Unfortunately there will be no 2005 Tempranillo as the Wrattonbully bird population showed a distinct liking for Tempranillo Tapas and gorged themselves on our precious fruit, so make sure that you get a slice of the excellent 2004 wine. Stuart Sharam promises that he will not be taking dinner reservations from them in 2006!

2005... the year that was

Come and see the "Real Thing"

Hot Summer Night '05 was a hit with many guests from last year booking tickets once again.

Here are some comments we received.

"Many thanks to all the team for a great event last Saturday night. I still keep breaking out into "Gloria" when my mind wanders. Hope it will be repeated."

"Thanks for a wonderful night... you folks have hospitality down to a fine art!"

"Absolutely magnificent"

"Thank you for your wonderful hospitality last Saturday night – the food, wine and company was outstanding"

"It was fantastic fun, the food was amazing and it was so well organized!"

"Thank you for a fantastic night on Saturday. Everything was perfect. Great wine, great food and unreal entertainment."

Hot Summer Night 06 promises to be just as great when Jim Keays (Masters Apprentices), Darryl Cotton (ZOOT) and Russell Morris combine their unique blend of talent and musical ability into an event you won't forget. Cotton, Keays & Morris who have been playing to packed audiences and receiving huge responses will be performing a totally original show where every member presents a piece of Australian rock & roll history.

Each have scored number one hits nationally in the 60s. Many of their songs are bonifide classics, still being heard regularly on Australian radio. They cover a wide range of styles from early garage punk, psychedelia, power pop, rock and progressive rock, through to modern adult oriented songs and beautiful ballads

The evening will be held in the psychedelic themed barrel shed where sparkling wine will be served on arrival before a superb three course dinner. Shortly after dinner the band will make their way onto the stage. It is an intimate setting where everyone can get close to the action.

For more details and bookings please phone Jane Staude on (08) 8737 2318.

Oz wine and alcohol

In case you had not noticed the alcohol levels in your favourite tipples have been sneaking up. A recently published article by the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) has indeed indicated that the average alcohol levels in Australian wines have been climbing steadily since the mid 80s. The average alcohol content for reds has risen from just under 12.5% in 1984 to around 14% today while whites have slipped up from just above 12% to around 13% over the same period. Is this a function of global warming or merely further evidence that we are in the fashion industry, not so much the wine industry? Those who propose a conspiracy theory suggest that it is in part a reflection of palate preferences of some noted scribes.

On this topic, we are a little bit of the "old school". We do not believe that you need high alcohol levels to achieve flavour, and due to our efforts in the vineyard to achieve balance, we achieve ripeness below the recent averages. Of course, growing grapes in a cool climate such as Coonawarra is helpful. We are always seeking to avoid producing "dead fruit" high-alcohol wines and aim to produce wines with intensity, but also a freshness on the palate... and we want to drive home after a glass!

Reflections on the 2005 vintage
Q: "What's the greatest ever vintage?"
A: "The next one we need to sell"

Have you ever noticed how many "Vintages of the Century" are proclaimed? It is not hard to become cynical when these claims are made, so we are not going to pump up the vintage unduly, only to say that it was a near perfect ripening season with average crop loads. For the vineyard manager, Stuart Sharam, well he just wishes it was like that every year. For the cellar rats, they were just thrilled to work through in shorts and a t-shirt rather than thick jumpers as is often the case towards the end of vintage.

All of the reds have now gone through malo and although the wines are still quite raw it is obvious that there is some pretty good stuff to look forward to. So, as promised no hype, just quiet satisfaction!

Website upgrade

We have been busy upgrading our website to better reflect our updated corporate image and to make it easier to navigate. It has proven to be a very valuable resource for us since its inception in 1999, but was crying out for a freshen up. It is a great resource of tasting notes and tid-bits, so we encourage you to take a look and use it whenever you need more specific information about any of our wines.

www.hollick.com

Winestate Nov/Dec 05 Wrattonbully Shiraz

"Big, ripe, flavoursome wine with raspberries, cherries and vanilla biscuits on the nose and displaying a powerful menthol lift. Drying palate has plenty of length and a great ripe presence. Easy drinker.

New Releases

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

James Halliday was kind enough to bestow 92 points on the 2002 vintage, and we would rate the 2003 vintage just as highly. 2003 was a warmer vintage than 2002 so the wines display a riper flavour profile, with more black plums and a little less mint. Yields were miserably low so it is nicely concentrated.

Drinks well now, but will cellar effortlessly for 7 years or more. This is the 22nd vintage of this wine and by utilising blending options, it has been a remarkably consistent wine throughout its life.

2005 'The Nectar'

There will be no 2005 varietal Riesling as we are now focussing all of our Riesling production on making the 'sticky'. Botrytis occurs naturally most years in Coonawarra as a consequence of early morning fogs that often occur in March and April. Our objective from 2005 will be to make a "Nectar"each vintage, so as insurance we are now cane cutting some of the vineyard.

The 2005 is very much in the mould of the excellent 2004, showing good acidity, primary Riesling flavours and well defined apricot and marmalade overtones from the Botrytis. It is concentrated and reasonably sweet at around 100g/L of residual sugar, but is crisp thanks to good levels of natural acidity. Cries out for a perfectly ripened soft cheese.

Last Chance for Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot

Well it is definitely the last opportunity to purchase the 2002 Petit Verdot as we have chainsawed the block. Whilst the 2002 was excellent and perfectly ripe, in many vintages it struggled for ripeness and was often left on the vine.

We are also down to our last half pallet of the 2002 Cabernet Franc. If you have not tried this wine or are unfamiliar with the variety, this one is a great introduction. It displays an intoxicating fragrance with a fine structure. A great drink of fine purity.

Wilgha Chardonnay close out

The 2005 Wilgha Chardonnay will be receiving a packaging tweak so we are keen to move through our remaining 2004 stocks. $120 a dozen, in case lots only.

What's happening "Upstairs"?

Ian Perry and Sean Emery introduced a new menu for summer in early November, which features many dishes tailor made for long lunches on the balcony. The wok tossed calamari with Vietnamese style salad has proven especially popular partnered with the zesty 2005 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. The Soy braised pork belly with Asian greens, star anise broth and crispy fried shallots is a favourite of all the staff.

The local crayfish season commenced on October 1st and during the summer we will be at times featuring special dishes utilising this most delectable seafood. We will also be hosting some influential Melbourne restauranteurs to a Crayfish degustation dinner. Life is good!

On the wine list front, we have just updated the list for the summer season. Apart from a strong list of Hollick wines we have always prided ourselves on sourcing some rare and interesting icons from around the globe. One such wine that we have just procured is a 1981 Chateau Palmer from Margaux in Bordeaux. This wine was a special museum release from this famous Chateau's cellars and should be in perfect condition and at the peak of drinking.

Should you be in Coonawarra during your vacation we would love to see you, but remember that the restaurant gets very busy, so please endeavour to make a reservation. Phone Upstairs on (08) 8737 2752.