A Hill of Stars

Star Hill

Sometimes  The Drinking of The Wine involved revealing some rather personal aspects of one’s, well, person. This is such a time. I, being one of partially ordered mind, am particularly impartial to impunctuality. Especially so on my own account. Most especially so when it results in the Missing of The Wine. This was such a day. Fortunately, there was The Good Wine to rescue the last of it.

WHITE

• Sauvignon Blanc (2012): Flagship wine. The wine which went, sadly (even though it was a Sauv Blanc) untasted.

• Chenin Blanc (2010): Barrel fermented, old French oak, 10 months, wild yeast. Buttered, toasted peaches; smoked rye, dried apricot marmalade, white peach tang. (*)

• Chenin Blanc (2011): 10 months in oak, commercial yeast. Honey peach jam on scones, malty butter, tinge of acetone, high heel kick, sour sucking sweets, peaky melon, salted grapefruit pith, mouth watering.

• Viognier (2011): 12 months in French oak, classic style. Orangey jasmine, mouth full of orange, like a bursting orange segment, smidge of savoury like roasted orange potatoes.

RED

• Shiraz (2010): 3% Viognier (late harvest), 4^th fill French oak, 24 months. Blueberry violets, purple flower honey, shy red gummy bears, a faceful of sour spices, light tannins, sour red Jelly Tots.

Something More About The Stars:

• People used to add Viognier to old bottles of red
• Built own Bordeaux red – bought in all grapes (Claret) – don’t grow any of the 5 varietals
• Vanilla essence is made from oak barrels
• Chenin yields 6 tons/ha – 4 year old vines
• All grapes are new growth
• Viognier is an old French grape dating back 3 – 400 years