2007
Vintage Report continued
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay generally prefer milder conditions, so the cool nights and early harvest date allowed good natural acidity levels to remain. These wines, although still very young, have attractive varietal characters, with good depth and structure. There are some good batches of Merlot and Cabernet, however after the 2006 vintage, they have a hard act to follow. Sauvignon blanc was harvested earlier this year and at generally lower sugar levels. Flavours are delicate with attractive passionfruit and lychee.
In the winery, we have started racking our Pinots off their fermentation lees. These wines have good colour, with attractive varietal cherry characters. The 2007 Sauvignon blanc has been blended and is currently awaiting bottling. We have just blended our 2006 late maturing reds and have returned them back to oak for final maturation before bottling in July and August.
A project which we have been working on for some time is Amphitheatre, which is the introduction of a new level of Pinot and Chardonnay above our Reserve range. We are very fortunate to have a number of mature vineyards at Coldstream, which have consistently produced fruit of exceptional quality. In March, we bottled the inaugural 2006 Amphitheatre Pinot Noir, which was produced exclusively from three barrels of the Amphitheatre A Block. We propose to release this wine in September, so keep an eye out for it in Cellar Door, as only seventy dozen were produced.
My thanks, as always, to the Coldstream Hills Team. We have had a tremendous run in the wine show circuit, which is a reflection of the passion and commitment of everyone at the winery. Enjoy our wines. - Andrew Fleming.
