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Read about our latest wine news . . .
Newsletter Late Spring 2011
This vintage has got off to a great start with a relatively dry and warm spring and the outlook is for a warmer than average summer.
We are now releasing our 2009 Pinot Gris. Yields were very low in 2009 and the Gris has the most exotic aromas and flavours we have so far produced… not for the timid!
I believe this wine shows that we can produce Pinot Gris equal to the best of Alsace.
When we took the birdnetting off the vines in April this year, we decided to get away from the din of the Silver Eyes feasting on our unpicked grapes and go to Sicily for a couple of weeks.We had a great time exploring the rich cultural heritage of this island and the food and wine did not disappoint. I was amazed by the quality and diversity of the indigenous varieties.
We came home recharged with the appreciation of the efforts required to produce top quality food and wine.
A few tips for future travellers…
Restaurants-
Al Fogher (Piazza Armerina)
Ristorante Duomo,(Ragusa)
Nangalarruni (Castelbuorno)
Pizzo &Pizzo (Palermo)
The ‘wow’ wine of our stay was a 2007 La Cometa (Fiano grape) by Planeta but there were many memorable wines from the indigenous varieties Grillo, Nero D’Avola, Nerollo and many others.
Our current release wines are the 2008 Pinot Noir, 2006 Merlot and 2008 Chardonnay/Viognier and Glen Grey 2004 Merlot. We have very small quantities of 2005 & 2008 Romanesque also available.
Rita & I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a joyous & peace filled Christmas, and all you’re hoping for in 2012.
Regards
Bob
Newsletter Autumn 2011
La Niña strikes from Cairns to Hobart
Our first ‘non vintage’…..
For the first time we have decided not to harvest our grapes, following record rains in Spring, Summer and continuing into Autumn. In the past 12 months we’ve had 1420mm of rain …our usual rainfall is around 880mm. After battling through downy mildew outbreaks before Christmas, then a powdery mildew outbreak in January we netted our vines in late February.
Veraison was very late and patchy across all varieties. Monitoring sugar levels, it became evident that the Merlot, Malbec & other late red varieties had no chance of ripening as leaves coloured and fell. Even the pinots (gris & noir) would struggle to reach 13 Beaume (the minimum sugar level needed for our wines). Fruit flavours seemed dull so we made the decision…..off with the nets…and a feast for the birds!
We feel this was the right decision….we always want ‘Grey Sands’ to mean ‘full bodied and suitable for cellaring’…we don’t think we could achieve this this vintage. It is painful to think of all the work that has been put into this vintage….far greater than any other year to date…spraying, hedging, leaf plucking, crop thinning…all to no avail.
But we won’t compromise on quality.
We’ll have to wait another year & hope we are able to have our 2 new blends…Malvasia added to the Chardonnay/Viognier to make our white Romanesque, and a new blend with Merlot, Malbec & Cab. Franc…
In the meantime, we have some brilliant wines in storage that are slowly maturing and will hopefully tide us over this missed vintage. The other positive is that with all the rain we’ve had, the ground water is fully re-charged and as we don’t irrigate…this bodes well for next vintage. Also the rain has meant really strong canes to lay down for next season.
Our current releases are the 2008 Pinot Gris & Pinot Noir the 2006 Merlot and the 2008 Chardonnay/Viognier.
If you’re planning a trip to Tasmania… we will be taking part in ‘Taste of the Tamar’ in Hobart on 23 & 24 July and Launceston on 27 & 28 August. Both events will be at the Hotel(s) Grand Chancellor and are a way of sampling & purchasing wines from some of the vineyards of the Tamar Valley Wine Route, all under one roof, and meeting the producers face to face. There will also be Tamar Valley food producers taking part.
Newsletter, Spring 2010.
The 2010 vintage presented some serious challenges. The weather was particularly warm before the harvest of our first variety (Pinot Gris) which saw the sugar levels race ahead and has produced our ripest Pinot Gris to date. But the repeated falls of rain meant that considerable fruit had to be sorted and dropped due to botrytis.
The young wines have some interesting ripe flavours not previously seen, but at deceptively lower alcohol levels.
Winter has been one of our wettest on record. Just over 400mm fell in the 3 winter months (cf usual 300mm) making conditions very uncomfortable for the winter work in the vineyard.
Rain and wind has continued into September, but now the sun is shining and the vineyard and our garden are bursting into life. Again we have high hopes that we will have our first crop of Malbec, after 2 previous years marred by poor fruit set….we can only keep our fingers crossed for a mild December…without gusty cold winds! We are also hoping our Malvasia will come ‘on line’ this coming season so that our White Romanesque will be born.
We are also pleased to announce our new releases…
2008 Chardonnay/Viognier
2008 Pinot Noir
2008 Romanesque
2007 Shiraz (only our 2nd ever Shiraz…previous vintage was 2000)
2006 Merlot
A palette of beautiful wines…all ‘made to last’…
Dates for your diaries…to taste and/or purchase our new releases
as we have not been successful in getting a site at Festivale 2011….
Oct 29-Nov 1 (incl)…Deloraine Craft Fair, Community Complex
Venue 5, Gourmet Pantry
Nov 6 & 7…our Annual Open Weekend..11am-6pm both days..stroll
through our garden as well as tasting our wines!
We are able to offer tutored tastings for groups up to 42 … yes!
Large tour buses can make it into and up our driveway.
Bookings are essential, so feel free to ring or email us to discuss.
Cheers,
Bob & Rita
Newsletter 1/12/2009
Rita & I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers a Very Merry Christmas, and a Happy & Healthy 2010.
Winter and Spring have been very generous this year with good solid rainfalls and warmer than average temperatures. Over the last few seasons, as we don’t use irrigation, we have seen the vines progressively devigorating to the point of some concern. This year they have responded to the plentiful moisture with strong growth. Although we are happy to see such lush growth, it will mean considerable desuckering, shoot thinning, topping, hedging and finally leaf plucking and crop thinning to maintain quality.
Disease pressure from downy mildew and botrytis will be a challenge if rain continues into the season.
Our garden has never looked as good as this year, which makes me nervous about the vineyard’s condition. Certainly it has advanced the young blocks of new Pinot Noir clones, and should ensure a crop from our new Malbec & Merlot blocks which are in their 5th season for the 2010 vintage.
We have been fortunate to have our Merlot at Tetsuya’s in Sydney and our Pinot Gris at Vue du Monde in Melbourne, and reviews by Nick Stock in The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2010 and in Rob Geddes,MW, ‘Gold Book’Australian Wine Vintages 2010 have been very favourable.
I would encourage anyone interested in the future of Australian wine to see Andrew Jefford’s speech on his website http://www.andrewjefford.com/node/702 (Falling in Love Again) . Andrew is working as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide and Winewriter in Residence to the Wine 2030 Research Network. In this speech he clearly outlines his observations of the Australian wine industry during his stay in 2009. The confronting issues seem to boil down to the ‘sameness’ of mass produced wines that have flooded our market. I have had the experience many times of walking up and down the aisles of the typical ‘chain’ liquor stores looking for something interesting, and then walking out empty handed.
If you are a buyer on ‘price’ at the moment, then you may think that you are spoilt for choice. Sadly, what you are presented with are simple varietal expressions from overcropped vines, processed using timid, technically correct winemaking.
Newsletter 12.6.09
Vintage report 2009
Coming off the ‘high’ of 2008 with good yields of picture-perfect fruit
and exceptionally ripe and balanced wines, the 2009 vintage started well
with early bud burst…….then became progressively more difficult!
Yields were down by 70%, mainly due to poor pollination caused by
cold weather delaying and extending the flowering period in December.
The brief heat wave in late January caused sunburn on west-facing
fruit bunches and further crop losses. A return to cooler/ very dry
weather delayed harvest of all varieties and further reduced yields.
Late season rain precluded harvest of our late varieties (used in our Romanesque)
as botrytis levels ruled out sufficient volumes for processing.
We now have to wait some time to make any pronouncements about the
actual wine quality….perhaps, after 4 good vintages culminating in the
exceptional 2008 vintage, some reality check was due!
Now vintage is over, we have pulled out 2500 15-year-old vines from
directly below our house. Why??? Because the larger component of our
Merlot fruit comes from a block planted on nearly pure clay. I had always
suspected that the wine from the clay block was better than that from the
grey sand block as the fruit was consistently riper with smaller, more uniform
berries. In 2008 we were able to make separate wines from these two blocks…
The wine from the clay block was darker in colour and fuller on the palate
compared with the wine from the grey sand block which was lighter and
fruitier, but lacked the weight and length we want for cellaring wines.
In 2010 we hope to produce a Malbec/Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend
(as yet unnamed!) from new blocks planted on the clay soil.
We have two new releases to announce..
the 2007 Pinot Noir and the 2008 Pinot Gris.
Dates for your diaries: We hope you can come along to one of these events to
be able to try our latest releases…..
This year we will again be taking part in “Tasmania Unbottled”…a travelling
wine show showcasing wines from 29 different vineyards in Tasmania.
The roadshow will be in Melbourne on August 4th, Sydney August 11th and
Brisbane August 13th….go to http://www.winetasmania.com.au/events/tu-09
to register.
We will be in the ‘Gourmet Pantry’ marquee, at The Community Centre
at the Tasmanian Craft Fair in Deloraine…30/10 to 2/11 inclusive.
The following weekend (7 & 8/11) we will have our annual “Open Weekend”
at the vineyard…..10am to 5pm each day…6 Kerrison’s Road, Glengarry.
(cnr of Kerrison’s Rd and Frankford Hwy).
End of Vintage Newsletter 26.04.08
A short Winter in '07 was followed by a gentle Spring and early Summer.
Enough rain fell at the right times to fill out a good canopy, but not enough
to trigger disease. A good flowering period set a higher crop level that triggered a comparison to 2004, but then the months of February and March delivered above average temperatures and below average rainfall in
stark contrast to the East Coast of Australia which felt the full effect of this
years 'La Nina' event. Both Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir gave exceptionally
clean and ripe fruit, so we will be exploring the upper limit of ripeness for these wines this year.
The Merlot has come in and was processed in two separate
portions, representing grapes from our 'clay block' and 'grey sand' block.
The difference was impressive. The wine from the clay soil being deeper in colour, richer in flavour and more tannic, while off the sandy soil the wine is
lighter but more fruity and fragrant.
We have harvested some late fruit for our Romanesque blend but still await a small amount of Shiraz.
The fourth good vintage in a row must have may wondering if this is 'climate change' at work!
We still have a small amount of current releases ('06 Pinot Gris',
'05 Pinot Noir and '03 Merlot) and the new vintages are now also available.
Newsletter 16.12.07
We'd like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas
and a happy and healthy 2008
What a magical start to the 2008 vintage!
A short, sharp winter (down to -6 C) was followed by a soft, frost free spring.
Warmer than average temperatures in late spring with well timed moderate rainfall has produced strong healthy growth of a glowing green. Flowering has been uniform and early.
Some new and exciting changes will flow from the 2007 and 2008 vintages.
We will continue to produce our Grey Sands Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, but starting with the 2007 vintage we will have limited quantities of a Chardonnay/Viognier which will evolve by the 2009 vintage into a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Malvasia which will become our white Romanesque. The 2008 vintage will see a move away from a varietal Merlot to a Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend which in 2009 will become a Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec blend.
New releases scheduled for Autumn 2008
2007 Grey Sands Chardonnay/Viognier.......rich, full-bodied and fruit driven (very limited quantity)
2005 Grey Sands Romanesque (Red)..........a medium bodied spicy and aromatic red wine made from late ripening varieties with the distinctive aroma of Tauriga.
2005 Grey Sands Merlot........................our ripest, most forward vintage to date
2007 Grey Sands Pinot Gris....................made in our usual full bodied style
Our current releases are
2006 Grey Sands Pinot Gris.....($30ea)
2003 Grey Sands Merlot..........($30ea)
2005 Grey Sands Pinot Noir.....($35ea)
2004 Glen Grey Pinot Noir........($20ea)
2004 Glen Grey Merlot.............($20ea)
We have appointed Stuart Addison of Chilled Wine as our Victorian distributor (0423100711)
Newsletter March 2007
The 2006 calendar year was our driest year since we began keeping records in 1989.
A total of 450mm of rain fell compared to our usual average of 880mm.
The Malbec rootlings have performed well since being planted in the wet Spring of 2005, but the Pinot Noir rootlings planted in Spring 2006 have struggled to survive. We have much replanting ahead of us!
The crop level for 2007 is very low. Spring frosts, a Christmas Day hailstorm and the ongoing drought will create a small crop of very intensely flavoured berries. Birdnetting has gone out and an early vintage is virtually guaranteed.
Our latest release is the 2002 Merlot. A small amount of wine was produced in this unusual vintage. Luckily the cooler than normal autumn that year coincided with our lowest crop levels. The resultant wine is quite different to our usual style. Light to medium bodied with higher acid and tannin levels that required longer than normal bottle maturation. This wine is tangy and aromatic with preserved cherry and tobacco leaf notes similar to the sub alpine versions coming from northern Italy. A perfect match to piquant tomato and herb Mediterranean dishes.
The Open Weekend in the vineyards will be held on 17-18 March and we will be open 9-5 on both days.
Come and see us and taste our current releases.
2005 Pinot Gris ($26), 2005 Pinot Noir ($35), 2002 and 2003 Merlots ($30) and our Glen Grey 2004 Pinot Noir ($20). The Sunday Tasmanian did a colour liftout on 25/2/07 detailing all the vineyards taking part in the Open Weekends both in the south & north of the state. if you missed the paper you may be able to pick up the lift out at Travel Info Centres.
Hope to see you at our vineyard!
Newsletter December 2006
The climatic rollercoaster ride continues. Last Spring we had record rainfall and this year we have had half our average Winter and Spring rainfall. A newly planted block of Pinot noir clones is struggling without supplementary water.
To top it off, on the morning of the 28th of October, we had the severest frost since establishing the vineyard in 1988. At 2.00 A.M the thermometer dipped below zero with a steady southerly wind blowing. Sheltered areas went colder and our garden and vines glistened in the torch light. Frost damage alone will reduce yields by 10%, before the effect of potential drought is calculated. We cannot complain though as we have had two very fine vintages in a row. Our new releases are the 2005 Grey Sands Pinot Gris ( $30/bottle). A very concentrated wine rated 94/100 by Jeremy Oliver and the 2005 Grey Sands Pinot Noir ($35/bottle), our first foray into this battlefield using vines planted in 1992.
Please note that our phone and fax numbers are now the same (0363961167)
There is a 5 second delay before the answering machine responds. Please leave a message as we'd hate you to waste your call.
Tasting Notes:
Pinot Noir 25.07.06
Mid to deep red. The nose is fragrant with hints of sauteed strawberries. The palate has rich red fruit characters balanced by fine tannins. The finish is dry, persistent and marked by coffee/mocha oak aromatics.
Pinot Gris 25.07.06
Bright straw in colour. The nose has delicate nectarine and quince aromas. On the palate the intense white fruit characters are tempered by mineral and yeast lees savoury elements. The finish is dry with aromatic persistence. A full-bodied , dry white wine.
NEWSLETTER 14.1.06
2005 was a rollercoaster year setting new records in the north of Tasmania.
The first 6 months were the driest on record, and the second six months were the wettest on record. From dust in May to mud in September! Thankfully the weather has stabilised and after much canopy manipulation and maintenance we are looking forward to what is likely to be an early vintage (very important when in a cool climate)
The Malbec planted in winter is progressing very well-regular rainfall has provided excellent conditions for growth this season ®¢ always a welcome bonus in an unirrigated vineyard.
On the wine front: our 2004 Pinot Gris ($26/bottle) and 2001 Merlot ($30/bottle) are still available. We released the 2003 Merlot in December '05. This has leap-frogged our 2002 Merlot as it had 24 months in French oak barrels which has softened the tannins and developed the bouquet of the wine.
Tasting Notes 2003
Merlot 20.10.05 ($30/bottle) Deep red in colour, the nose has complex plum, prune and cigar box aromas. The palate has the perfect balance of sweet fruit and drier savoury oak characters, leading to a long aromatic finish. A medium bodied dry red wine.
We are about to have labels printed for our Late Release 2003 Pinot Gris so this should be available very soon. Tasting notes Late Release 2003 Pinot Gris 12.1.06 ($26/bottle) Straw colour with coppery hue. The nose shows subtle quince and honeysuckle aromas. The palate is distinguished by its dense mouth coating extract and fruit with quince, apricot and buttery characteristics. The finish is soft, dry and very persistent. A full-bodied, mature dry white wine.
We are also about to launch a second label 'Glen Grey'
Glen Grey wines are also made from fruit grown at Grey Sands vineyard, but which has not been deemed able to produce wines suitable for cellaring which is a hallmark of Grey Sands wines.
The new releases include a Pinot Noir and a Merlot.
Tasting Notes Glen Grey 2004 Pinot Noir 14.1.06 ($16/bottle)
Garnet red, with warm red cherry and asian spice aromas. A sweet front palate with red summer fruit aromatics is tempered by some oak astringency on the finish. A medium bodied dry red wine.
Tasting Notes Glen Grey 2004 Merlot 14.1.06 ($18/bottle)
Deep red with purple hue. Powerful blackcurrant, black olive and rhubarb aromas which flow onto the palate. Savoury aromatics and moderate tannins provide a persistent dry finish with some youthful astringency.
We were very pleased to be included in Jeremy Oliver's "Australian Wine Annual, 2006". He scored our 2004 Pinot Gris 93/100 and said "it changed my mind about Australian Pinot Gris". No other Pinot Gris scored higher.
James Halliday also scored the 2004 Pinot Gris at 93/100, in his 2006 Wine Companion.
We will be participating in Festivale again this year so if you are in northern Tasmania during February 11,12 & 13 come and see us at site 9 (near the duckpond) and try the new releases.
NEWSLETTER June 2005
The 2005 vintage has delivered stunning results. Very low yields (equivalent to 5 tonnes / hectare for pinot gris, pinot noir & merlot) coupled with near perfect ripening conditions has produced concentrated, complex young wines. Expect to see these wines from Feb 06 beginning with the Pinot Gris at Festivale. The 2004 vintage was marked by high yields. The Pinot Gris was least affected but the Pinot Noir and most of the Merlot lacked the intensity and length we expect of our Grey Sands label and so will be released under a new label, Glen Grey, at a lower price point. These two wines show the vibrant fruit characters typical of Tasmania and will be bottled under screw caps to protect their freshness.
Our current release wines are:
1.Grey Sands 2004 Pinot Gris
Tasting Notes 1/03/05
Pale straw in colour. The nose shows fresh subtle pear & nectarine aromas.The palate has rich white fruit characters complexed with more savoury elements derived from prolonged yeast lees contact. The finish is dry & persistent. A full bodied dry white wine.
2. Grey Sands 2001 Merlot
Tasting Notes 20.11.03 Deep red with youthful purple hue. Classic violets and ripe black plum aromas. The palate shows good weight of savoury plum fruit, subtle oak and drying fine grain tannins leading to an aromatic finish. A full bodied dry red wine with cool climate elegance and excellent cellaring potential. A recent tasting of this wine shows some bottle development i.e. softer tannins and more complex savoury aromas.
The drought gripping the eastern states has moved south and Tasmania has had its driest 10 months on record. May delivered only 6mm of rain on our property. A new block of ground has been worked up & seeded prior to a planned spring planting of Malbec, but 6 weeks on, only dust lifts when the winds blow.
Posts will need to be rammed before September assuming good rains come to soften the subsoil. As we do not irrigate we rely on the normally heavy winter rains to recharge the subsoil and carry the vines through summer. In anticipation of lower than usual rainfall, the vines will be pruned even more severely.
A nervous wait lies ahead. . . .
Bob Richter
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