Geoff Weaver is an immensely gifted winemaker who left his position as
chief winemaker for BRL Hardy to focus solely on his own label. He
planted his vineyard back in 1982 in the Adelaide Hills because he felt
that it was the best location possible to grow Riesling, Sauvignon
Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In addition to handling the
winemaking chores, Geoff does all the vineyard work by himself. He
reckons that the care and effort he puts into the property is reflected
in the quality of the wine. Geoff is also a very accomplished artist;
he even painted the artwork on the label. About 2002 Sauvignon
Blanc The 2002 growing season was the coolest ever recorded in the
Hills however, thankfully, Autumn was near average warmth and this
saved the day. The harvest of Sauvignon Blanc was our latest ever on
April 15th and 20th. The grapes from each of our vineyards were ripe,
dry and full of flavour, with high acid levels and intense fruit. Crop
levels were low at 2 kg per vine, ensuring concentration of flavour.
All of the fruit is from Geoff’s vineyard in Lenswood and was brought
in, crushed, de-stemmed and gently pressed. The clear juice is allowed
to settle and then it is cold fermented to dryness. The approach is
retain the fresh aromatics of the fruit and not to generate any harsh
extractives which produce coarseness on the palate. The nose of the
wine shows intense gooseberry and tropical fruit with a hint of cut
grass. The palate is intensely flavoured with the fruit elements
apparent on the nose carrying through to the palate. This wine will be
at the peak of its youthful vibrancy in the first two years but
following the pattern on previous vintages will develop the mineral
character of a classically aged Sauvignon Blanc over a decade or so.
This is the first time we have sealed our Sauvignon Blanc with a screw
cap and has been done in order to retain the fruit intensity, cleanness
and freshness of the wine as well as enhancing the ageability. Only
1400 dozen were produced.
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