MEDIA RELEASE: AUGUST 2003
Aldgate Ridge releases its inaugural sauvignon blanc
When Jill and Chris Whisson established their Aldgate Ridge vineyard in the Adelaide Hills in 1988 they were determined to produce styles of wine that they enjoyed drinking and that would best express the district’s viticultural uniqueness.
“Our initial choice of variety, pinot noir, really was quite simple,” said Jill Whisson.
“The Adelaide Hills district enjoys quite a cool climate, especially where we are, at about 440 metres and overlooking the Onkaparinga Valley.
“We wanted to make great red wine and I think our decision to concentrate on pinot noir has been clearly vindicated.
“When we were looking for a white partner for our pinot, it was a bit more complicated.
“We could have continued down the Burgundian path and planted chardonnay, but there were plenty of other areas already doing very well with that variety and we did want a point of difference.
“So we chose sauvignon blanc as our second variety, principally because we thought our climate and aspect were ideally suited to it and because we believed we could produce better sauvignon blanc than anywhere else in Australia.”
The Whissons see the distinguishing characteristic of Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc as combining the variety’s hallmark pungent aromatics with genuinely satisfying palate weight.
“There are plenty of Australian sauvignons with ample aromatics, but palate weight is another matter,” said Jill.
“I guess that’s why we see so many blends of sauvignon blanc with semillon. Producers are using the semillon, very attractively in many cases, to build palate weight. We believe that our inaugural sauvignon blanc shows the variety can well and truly stand on its own.”
The fruit was hand-picked and the wine made locally, taking particular care to retain its intrinsic freshness and vivacity. The resultant wine is beautifully varietal, with the elusive balance between the tropical fruit that is a feature of Adelaide Hills sauvignon, and the characteristic greens that sometimes dominate wines from other regions.
The Aldgate Ridge 2003 Sauvignon Blanc is priced at $19. The wine is available in a small range of restaurants and fine-wine stores and through cellar door.
