MEDIA RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 2005
Good seasons are obviously a help ... but the underlying
constants are real reasons for Aldgate Ridge’s success
The quality of the latest releases from Aldgate Ridge reflects a couple of very good vintages in the Adelaide Hills but also confirms the wisdom shown by Jill and Chris Whisson when they established their vineyard.
“As in most of South-Eastern Australia, the summer of 2002-03 was a very dry one in the Adelaide Hills, but it was a warm-to-hot summer rather than one of searing heat,” said Jill.
“We had enough water, so the vines didn’t over-stress. The pinot noir ripened quite early but showed excellent flavour and retained good natural acidity, and I think these characters have come through in the wine.
“For a pinot, it’s a big, richly textured wine, but that isn’t just seasonal. Our pinots have always been on the more opulent side, so you have to look at the constants as well — terroir, clones and winemaking.”
Terroir
Stirling, just a few kilometres north of the Aldgate Ridge vineyard, has a mean January temperature of 19.1ºC, making it a genuinely “cool climate” viticultural region.
Within that region, Aldgate Ridge occupies one of the coolest sites, with its dominant south-easterly aspect further reducing temperatures, especially in the critical period during late summer and early autumn, and providing ideal conditions for the long, slow ripening of premium grapes.
The soils — mainly well drained sandy clay loams with variable-sized stony fragments — are also ideal for establishing and maintaining healthy, low-yielding vines capable of producing first-class fruit … and ultimately a first-class wine.
Clones
The Whissons realised that pinot was more susceptible to clonal differences than most grape varieties and admit they were fortunate to be among the first in Australia to get access to a couple of Burgundian clones. These are characterised by smaller berries, deeper colour and more intense palate flavours than the more aromatic locally developed clones, which the Whissons also planted.
A decade and a bit after planting their vineyard, the Whissons think that the differences in flavour and structure from the Burgundian-clone blocks and the Australian-clone blocks are becoming more significant and providing their pinot maker, David Powell, with a real edge in building complexity.
Winemaking
Aldgate Ridge is the only pinot noir made by David Powell, who has built an international reputation for the heroic reds he has made at Torbreck from shiraz and grenache.
He admits it’s been a very steep learning curve, but is glad he took on the challenge.
“Aldgate Ridge is one of the few Australian vineyards growing pinot fruit that can make a genuinely rich, robust red without compromising varietal integrity,” he said.
“The Burgundian clones help a lot, because the fruit is less susceptible to oxidation so you can work it a bit harder and give it a bit more new oak. The fruit also shows lots of rich, plummy, meaty flavours which are complemented by the more aromatic, berrylike characters of the local pinot clones.
“I’m very pleased with the result and think that the Aldgate ’03 Pinot really does combine big, soft, mouth-filling structure with flavours that are unmistakably varietal and would easily be recognised by drinkers with a background in European wine.”
ALDGATE RIDGE 2005 SAUVIGNON BLANC
For the Whissons, the Aldgate Ridge 2005 Sauvignon Blanc represents a return to the form that gained such widespread acclaim for the inaugural 2003 vintage.
“We were knocked out by the quality of our ’03 sauvignon blanc and the ’04, while yields were surprisingly high throughout the Adelaide Hills, still managed to present the character of our vineyard in the flavours of the wine we produced.” said Jill Whisson.
“The ’04 season was a difficult one, particularly with the monumental heatwave that hit the Hills in early-to-mid-February, just at the critical time for the development of sauvignon blanc’s crisp, delicate, racy aromas and flavours.”
By contrast, the 2005 Adelaide Hills vintage was near-perfect for sauvignon blanc — early, warm and quick, with fruit developing intense flavours and preserving acid balance.
“The wine has just about everything we look for in a sauvignon blanc — pungent aromatics that are both herbaceous and redolent of tropical fruit, combined with a palate that is both fresh and zesty yet has enough mid-palate weight to be really satisfying,” said Jill.
