The growing season is progressing very well after a cold start. Two exceptionally hot weeks in November have seen prolific shoot growth and the beginning of flowering (ten days earlier than usual). Over the past few days we have experienced nearly 100mm of rain which has provided perfect moisture levels for flowering. The forecast is for more rain over the next few days. For the first time this year we are experiencing some run off into dams. The only detractions from this timely rain are the possibility some berries will not set and the disease pressure will increase with the humidity.
We have made seven hand passes already in the vineyard. Three passes have been made to lift foliage wires to train the new growth vertically, one pass to remove water shoots/suckers and three passes have been made to remove superfluous shoots in the crown and on the spurs and canes. This then concentrates the vines' energies on the correct shoots' development and reduces canopy density. If the canopy is too dense light and air movement is restricted or blocked and disease pressure mounts. Further down the track fruit ripening is inconsistent as many of the bunches will be shaded. Also, a denser canopy requires more frequent, heavier spraying and perhaps use of non organic applications.
The 2008 wines are all sold out now and we are monitoring the maturation of the 2009s in barrel. The volumes in 2009 are down significantly. Soon we will begin to rack the reds off lees as the malo-lactic conversion is nearly completed and we will rack the chardonnays off lees and sulphur them up to keep them fresh after they have been building richness and texture over the winter.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
The 2010 season is commencing with the early warm weather (Melbourne 30 degrees on the 12th of September) as the buds are starting to push. I have seen green leaves out in Sunbury but we are still a week away. The last of the 2008s went into bottle in early August and are just beginning to settle down from the bottling. It is always an interesting time when one season's work is completed by the bottling as another commences with the bud movement (what journey will 2010 take us on?). And in between the two rests the 2009 vintage at 10 degrees in barrel.
The 2008s are generally looking very good at this point. The Composition wines released earlier in the year are beginning to show very well now. I expect that these recently bottled wines will take a further three months just to properly settle down in bottle. Please give them this time or if you must open any now give them time to breathe and understand that the wine will be very tight.
We are no longer using the imported La Baronne bottle from France. Despite this bottle being quite stunning its weight and the international shipping and extra packaging required posed too much of a contradiction to our values. In particular, the organic regime used for the past three years in the vineyard, the farm forestry project, our protection of over 100 acres of indigenous grasslands and use of only 100% renewable electricity made the use of this undoubtably beautiful bottle a rather odd inconsistency.
The 2008s are generally looking very good at this point. The Composition wines released earlier in the year are beginning to show very well now. I expect that these recently bottled wines will take a further three months just to properly settle down in bottle. Please give them this time or if you must open any now give them time to breathe and understand that the wine will be very tight.
We are no longer using the imported La Baronne bottle from France. Despite this bottle being quite stunning its weight and the international shipping and extra packaging required posed too much of a contradiction to our values. In particular, the organic regime used for the past three years in the vineyard, the farm forestry project, our protection of over 100 acres of indigenous grasslands and use of only 100% renewable electricity made the use of this undoubtably beautiful bottle a rather odd inconsistency.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Seven Vintages of Block 5 Pinot Noir
On Tuesday the 18th of August I enjoyed tasting and discussing seven vintages of Block 5 with Matthew Hansen's wine class at Carlton's Tre Bicchieri. The vintages ranged from just bottled 2008 to the first release, 1997.
2008 Block 5
Having been bottled ten days ago this is unfair on the wine but interesting to see where the wine is at and to see it next to 2004, a wine it shares a bit in common with. The nose is very spicy. Fresh ginger (observed in the ferment, like 2005, and not an oak flavour) with fragrant red fruits. Interestingly more dark fruits showed in barrel and they will build back as the wine settles in bottle. The palate is harmonious, fresh and zesty on the finish. It is very textural, sweet in pinot fruit and has a lovely flourish. It is reassuring to see the usual mineral tightness and drive on the mid to back palate. From a mild season experiencing well timed rainfall with a finishing burst of heat. Requires three years to really settle and evolve in bottle.
2007 Block 5
Here is a very deep, fleshy, spicy wine. There is also some earth and game complexity with a creamy, subtle choc-mint character. The palate is fresh, supple, fleshy, juicy and tightens with mineral grip on the finish. It is very harmonious. Due to the warm, dry season this wine is richer and shows more flesh that the others. This wine should be given three years to develop and will mature well for at least three more after that.
2005 Block 5
Immediately very complex, even profound. It is actually hard to pinpoint exact characters of complexity but the impression is of outstanding depth and power. Let me start with spice, earth, undergrowth, complex red and dark small berries and minerals. The palate is fresh, firm, dry and savoury, tight, mineral and long. There is a core of lovely sweet fruit and pressure on the back palate. Looking very good now but another five years will see further improvement and I suspect it will live well for another 15 years. The season was very cool but the final two weeks of ripening were very warm and built a lot of power into the fruit.
2004 Block 5
Here is a wine that looked just medium bodied after bottling and quite fragrant and perfumed without the obvious depth and power of wines like 2000 and 2005. Four years later it is absolutely hitting its straps and in this tasting showed as the Block 5 providing the most pleasure alongside the 1997. The nose is creamy and pure, delightfully fragrant with spices, red cherry and subtle strawberry notes. The palate is fresh and supple, beautifully textured and smooth with a typical mineral finish. It should hold like this for the next four or so years and continue to drink well for several years after that. From a moderate season like 2008 without the finishing burst of heat.
2002 Block 5
Perhaps our most challenging season ever? A very cold summer with rainfall at the most inappropriate times. This is quite a strong statement of pinot noir for its deep, sweet, herbal, spicy forest floor characters. The palate is round and supple then dry and grippy with a fresh, mineral end. It is quite different from the other wines. It is immediately more overtly complex but lacks the finer layers of the more regular vintages. Pleasingly the mineral back palate drive is there bit the usual striking harmony of Block 5 and flourish is less evident. It is not fading fast and should hold well for another five years.
2000 Block 5
This wine has always been a favourite. The issue is the more than usual incidence of cork taint. Which is a pity anytime but particularly for this fabulous vintage. The wine had some slight mustiness but showed sweet, herbal red and dark berry characters with complexing forest floor and spice. The palate is fleshy tight, very intense and driven with deep fruit purity. A good bottle of this is equal to any wine we have made and has a 20 year drinking window from vintage date.
1997 Block 5
The first bottling (there was one barrel from 1996 that went into the then Bindi Pinot Noir (now Original Vineyard)). The nose is hedonistic in its fragrance, ripeness and lovely complexity: herbs, flowers and sweet fruit. The palate is fresh, balanced, pure and creamy with a lovely mineral core and a long, smooth finish. At 12 years of age it is not tired and remains a beautiful wine that will continue to drink well for several more years.
The highlights for me from this tasting were the consistent mineral back palate of the wines expressing the vineyard site, the longevity of the wines in general and the ability of less powerful, structured years like 2004 to evolve to a point where there is so much more complexity, intensity and textural length. Pleasingly, despite the warm and dry years the site is clearly expressing the seasonal influences and the vineyard site.
2008 Block 5
Having been bottled ten days ago this is unfair on the wine but interesting to see where the wine is at and to see it next to 2004, a wine it shares a bit in common with. The nose is very spicy. Fresh ginger (observed in the ferment, like 2005, and not an oak flavour) with fragrant red fruits. Interestingly more dark fruits showed in barrel and they will build back as the wine settles in bottle. The palate is harmonious, fresh and zesty on the finish. It is very textural, sweet in pinot fruit and has a lovely flourish. It is reassuring to see the usual mineral tightness and drive on the mid to back palate. From a mild season experiencing well timed rainfall with a finishing burst of heat. Requires three years to really settle and evolve in bottle.
2007 Block 5
Here is a very deep, fleshy, spicy wine. There is also some earth and game complexity with a creamy, subtle choc-mint character. The palate is fresh, supple, fleshy, juicy and tightens with mineral grip on the finish. It is very harmonious. Due to the warm, dry season this wine is richer and shows more flesh that the others. This wine should be given three years to develop and will mature well for at least three more after that.
2005 Block 5
Immediately very complex, even profound. It is actually hard to pinpoint exact characters of complexity but the impression is of outstanding depth and power. Let me start with spice, earth, undergrowth, complex red and dark small berries and minerals. The palate is fresh, firm, dry and savoury, tight, mineral and long. There is a core of lovely sweet fruit and pressure on the back palate. Looking very good now but another five years will see further improvement and I suspect it will live well for another 15 years. The season was very cool but the final two weeks of ripening were very warm and built a lot of power into the fruit.
2004 Block 5
Here is a wine that looked just medium bodied after bottling and quite fragrant and perfumed without the obvious depth and power of wines like 2000 and 2005. Four years later it is absolutely hitting its straps and in this tasting showed as the Block 5 providing the most pleasure alongside the 1997. The nose is creamy and pure, delightfully fragrant with spices, red cherry and subtle strawberry notes. The palate is fresh and supple, beautifully textured and smooth with a typical mineral finish. It should hold like this for the next four or so years and continue to drink well for several years after that. From a moderate season like 2008 without the finishing burst of heat.
2002 Block 5
Perhaps our most challenging season ever? A very cold summer with rainfall at the most inappropriate times. This is quite a strong statement of pinot noir for its deep, sweet, herbal, spicy forest floor characters. The palate is round and supple then dry and grippy with a fresh, mineral end. It is quite different from the other wines. It is immediately more overtly complex but lacks the finer layers of the more regular vintages. Pleasingly the mineral back palate drive is there bit the usual striking harmony of Block 5 and flourish is less evident. It is not fading fast and should hold well for another five years.
2000 Block 5
This wine has always been a favourite. The issue is the more than usual incidence of cork taint. Which is a pity anytime but particularly for this fabulous vintage. The wine had some slight mustiness but showed sweet, herbal red and dark berry characters with complexing forest floor and spice. The palate is fleshy tight, very intense and driven with deep fruit purity. A good bottle of this is equal to any wine we have made and has a 20 year drinking window from vintage date.
1997 Block 5
The first bottling (there was one barrel from 1996 that went into the then Bindi Pinot Noir (now Original Vineyard)). The nose is hedonistic in its fragrance, ripeness and lovely complexity: herbs, flowers and sweet fruit. The palate is fresh, balanced, pure and creamy with a lovely mineral core and a long, smooth finish. At 12 years of age it is not tired and remains a beautiful wine that will continue to drink well for several more years.
The highlights for me from this tasting were the consistent mineral back palate of the wines expressing the vineyard site, the longevity of the wines in general and the ability of less powerful, structured years like 2004 to evolve to a point where there is so much more complexity, intensity and textural length. Pleasingly, despite the warm and dry years the site is clearly expressing the seasonal influences and the vineyard site.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Burgundy Trip July 2009
I have been sifting through my notes from visiting 27 makers in Burgundy during July. Here are some brief thoughts.
I tasted over 400 wines, mostly 2007. There were many, many superb wines.
The 2007 whites are brilliant for their vitality and minerality and purity. I think at the moment the lower level wines are quite delicious and racy but will benefit from several years to build more weight. There is no question that the top wines require three plus years to flesh out and build around their very intense, oh so pure spine. What really struck me when comparing 2007 to 2006 and 2005 was just how specific to site they are and how rich and ready the other vintages looked. I guess 2007 could be labelled a purists vintage for whites.
The 2007 reds are so delicious, complex, balanced and harmonious. They (generalisation here) will all drink and live well for a decade and more. There is so much to like about 2007! The level of Pinot fruit purity is sensational (to my mind think 2006 and 2002). There is a lot of fresh, fragrant red berry fruit, often quite a deal of spice and lovely creaminess in 2007. In more profound vineyards there is, as expected, often an added edge of darker, deeper fruit expression.
The 2008s look deeper, richer and more structured in both whites and reds but the malos are slow and many wines are not resolved yet. I tasted some amazingly textured and deep whites with bracing acid. There is a lot of power and texture. Some producers were thrilled by the combination or fruit depth, acid and mouthfeel. Hedonists wines in many ways. But it is early days.
The 2008 reds are often very deep and powerful though the malos were normally not done and they started with high malic so they will become a bit more tame. I felt 2007 offered more purity and fragrance where as 2008 seemed darker and denser. We really must be careful not to judge too early so what are impressions of wines in barrel or just bottled should be seen in a general sense.
What came across strongly was that the attention to detail in the vineyard and the care being applied in the winery can provide an excellent opportunity to make stunning wines even when the vintage conditions are not perfect. It seems in Burgundy that imperfect weather during the growing season can be rendered unimportant if there are well timed periods of fine, dry, sunny weather post veraison. Both 2007 and 2008 are such instances. An interesting observation was made that the expression of terroir can be heightened in difficult (but not flawed) seasons where as perfect sunny seasons can stamp the wines with vintage, not the vineyard.
I tasted over 400 wines, mostly 2007. There were many, many superb wines.
The 2007 whites are brilliant for their vitality and minerality and purity. I think at the moment the lower level wines are quite delicious and racy but will benefit from several years to build more weight. There is no question that the top wines require three plus years to flesh out and build around their very intense, oh so pure spine. What really struck me when comparing 2007 to 2006 and 2005 was just how specific to site they are and how rich and ready the other vintages looked. I guess 2007 could be labelled a purists vintage for whites.
The 2007 reds are so delicious, complex, balanced and harmonious. They (generalisation here) will all drink and live well for a decade and more. There is so much to like about 2007! The level of Pinot fruit purity is sensational (to my mind think 2006 and 2002). There is a lot of fresh, fragrant red berry fruit, often quite a deal of spice and lovely creaminess in 2007. In more profound vineyards there is, as expected, often an added edge of darker, deeper fruit expression.
The 2008s look deeper, richer and more structured in both whites and reds but the malos are slow and many wines are not resolved yet. I tasted some amazingly textured and deep whites with bracing acid. There is a lot of power and texture. Some producers were thrilled by the combination or fruit depth, acid and mouthfeel. Hedonists wines in many ways. But it is early days.
The 2008 reds are often very deep and powerful though the malos were normally not done and they started with high malic so they will become a bit more tame. I felt 2007 offered more purity and fragrance where as 2008 seemed darker and denser. We really must be careful not to judge too early so what are impressions of wines in barrel or just bottled should be seen in a general sense.
What came across strongly was that the attention to detail in the vineyard and the care being applied in the winery can provide an excellent opportunity to make stunning wines even when the vintage conditions are not perfect. It seems in Burgundy that imperfect weather during the growing season can be rendered unimportant if there are well timed periods of fine, dry, sunny weather post veraison. Both 2007 and 2008 are such instances. An interesting observation was made that the expression of terroir can be heightened in difficult (but not flawed) seasons where as perfect sunny seasons can stamp the wines with vintage, not the vineyard.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A few upcoming Bindi events
The first is at Kyneton's fabulous Royal George (one Hat Age Good Food Guide 2009) featuring five local wines selected by Wine Australia as Landmark Australian wines. The Landmark event was a recent intensive presentation of Australia's greatest and most unique wines to twelve international wine professionals, including many Masters of Wine. The wines were selected, and tastings presented, by Max Allen, James Halliday, Brian Croser and many other journalists and winemakers. For more information please see www.landmark-wineaustralia.com
The second is a celebration of Bindi wine and Vue de Monde's food in their private room. We have had a long association, since Vue's earliest days in 2001 when Shannon Bennett began in Carlton. This relationship has progressed to the stage where for the past five years Bindi has grown and bottled a special Pinot Noir specifically for Vue de Monde. This lunch will be a lot of fun and will include Bindi 2003 Sparkling, Composition and Quartz Chardonnays, Bindi Vue de Monde and Block 5 Pinots and our Pyrette Heathcote Shiraz.
Landmark Wine Dinner, Royal George, Kyneton hosted by Max Allen
Date: Thursday 27th August
What: A five course dinner including Bindi Quartz and Block 5, Hanging Rock Macedon Sparkling Cuvee VIII, Cobaw Ridge Lagrein 2006 and Craiglee Shiraz 1990.
Host: Max Allen
Start time: 6.30pm for 7pm.
Cost: $135 per person
Bookings: neil@royalgeorge.com.au or phone : (03) 5422 1390
Bindi Wine lunch in Vue de Monde's private room in the Bistro
Date: Saturday 14th November
What: A four course lunch including matching Bindi wines
Start time: From 1pm
Cost: $150 per person, communal tables max 12 guests
Bookings: www.vuedemonde.com.au or phone (03) 9691 3888
The second is a celebration of Bindi wine and Vue de Monde's food in their private room. We have had a long association, since Vue's earliest days in 2001 when Shannon Bennett began in Carlton. This relationship has progressed to the stage where for the past five years Bindi has grown and bottled a special Pinot Noir specifically for Vue de Monde. This lunch will be a lot of fun and will include Bindi 2003 Sparkling, Composition and Quartz Chardonnays, Bindi Vue de Monde and Block 5 Pinots and our Pyrette Heathcote Shiraz.
Landmark Wine Dinner, Royal George, Kyneton hosted by Max Allen
Date: Thursday 27th August
What: A five course dinner including Bindi Quartz and Block 5, Hanging Rock Macedon Sparkling Cuvee VIII, Cobaw Ridge Lagrein 2006 and Craiglee Shiraz 1990.
Host: Max Allen
Start time: 6.30pm for 7pm.
Cost: $135 per person
Bookings: neil@royalgeorge.com.au or phone : (03) 5422 1390
Bindi Wine lunch in Vue de Monde's private room in the Bistro
Date: Saturday 14th November
What: A four course lunch including matching Bindi wines
Start time: From 1pm
Cost: $150 per person, communal tables max 12 guests
Bookings: www.vuedemonde.com.au or phone (03) 9691 3888
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