AUS: Victoria Flashcards
1st vines in Victoria
Yering Station, 1838
What type of tree is a “gum tree”?
Eucalyptus
1st phylloxera in Australia. How was it handled?
Geelong, 1877
“Death by extinction”: all vines uprooted
Port Phillip Zone GIs
Yarra Valley GI
Macedon Ranges GI
Mornington Peninsula GI
Sunbury GI
Geelong GI
*climate for all is generally Mediterranean, Winkler 1 or 2. Cool maritime
Yarra Valley’s zone?
Port Phillip Zone
Phylloxera in the Yarra Valley
2006
Yarra Valley climate + moderating factors
Cool maritime/ Region 1
*~2300 sunshine hrs/year
* even rainfall, ~33in/year
* Port Phillip Bay + Great Dividing Range (rain shadow/blocks warm northern influences)
Yarra Valley Grapes
1 Pinot Noir
#2 Chardonnay
(those 2 = ~75% of plantings)
Shiraz, Cab, Merlot, Sauv Blanc
Yarra Valley soils
Upper Yarra Valley: red basalt
Lower Yarra Valley: sandy loam
Langton’s 1st classified Yarra Valley wines (3)
- Mount Mary Pinot Noir
- Mount Mary Quintet (BDX blend)
- Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 1 Cabernet
Yarra Valley wineries
Domaine Chandon
Yarra Yering
Yering Station (est 1838)
Giant Steps (Jackson Family Wines)
Mayer
Mornington Peninsula GI
- where
- most planted
- top wineries
Port Phillip Zone
* divides Bass Strait + Port Philip Bay
* Pinot Noir ~50% of plantings (85% of reds). Chard, PG
Mooroduc Estate, Paringa Estate
Geelong GI
- location
- climate
- top producers
Port Phillip Zone, Victoria
*unofficial subs: Moorabool (center of viti), Surf Coast/Otways, Bellarine
* Pinot Noir is early flagship contender
* once the largest Aussie region. Phylloxera victim, only phylloxera free since 2012. Up to ~500ha
* warmest, driest Port Phillip GI
Warmest, driest Port Phillip zone
By Farr, Bannockburn
1st phylloxera in Australia
1877, Geelong GI
Macedon Ranges GI
Port Phillip Zone, Victoria
* 400-600M; coolest mainland growing region
* PN, CH, Shiraz - still and sparkling
Bindi Wine Growers
Jasper Hill
Heathcote, Central Victoria Zone
* est 1975
* marquee producer of blockbuster Shiraz
* Emily’s Paddock is the OG, Georgia’s Paddock is larger
Heathcote GI
Central Victoria Zone
* greenstone: deep red iron-rich Cambrian soils (basalt from underwater volcanoes)
* known for Shiraz
* hot summer dry climate (~22in/yr)
Jasper Hill
Bendigo GI
Central Victoria Zone
Shiraz, Cab, Merlot
Tahbilk
Est. 1860. Australia’s 1st Family member
* Goulburn Valley’s 1st winery, located in Nagambie Lakes GI
* 1927 plantings Marsanne
1860 Vines Shiraz: ungrafted, pre-phylloxera bottling from 1/2ha of original 25ha vineyard. Sandy soils.
Goulburn Valley GI
Central Victoria Zone
*Nagambie Lakes GI
*Tahbilk
Central Victoria Zone GIs (5)
Goulburn Valley (Nagambie Lakes)
Upper Goulburn
Strathbogie Ranges
Heathcote
Bendigo
*dry, warm to hot, continental as we go inland
Rutherglen GI’s northern border is?
Murray River
Rutherglen GI climate
Hot continental
* ~2300hrs sunshine/yr
* ~21 in rain/yr
Inland location/Great Dividing Ranges affect climate
Rutherglen Topaque
Muscadelle, made similarly to Muscat styles, same classification system and everything
* typically show 30-40g/l LESS RS than Muscat
Rutherglen GI soils
Rutherglen Loam: preferred for Muscat; clay-rich red loam
Fine sandy loam closer to Murray River
Name 3 members of the Muscat of Rutherglen Network?
All Saints
Bullers
Campbells
Chambers
Morris
Pfeiffer
Seppelt
Stanton
Killeen
Muscat of Rutherglen Network classification
4 Tiers:
1. Rutherglen Muscat: 3 - 5 yrs
2. Classic: 6 - 10 yrs
3. Grand: 11 - 19 yrs
4. Rare: 20+
*age is “expected”
biotype and favored soil type for Rutherglen’s Brown Muscat?
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
aka Muscat de Frontignan
Clay-rich red loam soils (good water retention)
Rutherglen Muscat
- varieties
- style
Brown Muscat aka MPG/Muscat de Frontignan
* passerillage, no botrytis (ruins aromatics)
* ferment eats 20 - 40gl RS; fortified to 96º in 1:4 ratio (like Port)
* ages in wood; evaporation concentrates the wines and develop rancio character
(the basic) Rutherglen Muscat classification
180 - 220 gl RS
3 - 5 years (expected)
Classic Rutherglen Muscat
200 - 280 gl RS
6 - 10 years (expected)
Grand Rutherglen Muscat
270 - 400 gl RS
11 - 19 years (expected)
Rare Rutherglen Muscat
270 - 400 gl RS
20+ years (expected)
Victoria’s 2 warmest GI’s?
Swan Hill GI
Murray Darling GI
* both go over the border into NSW
* 9k ha together, ~6% of Aussie Vineyard
* most carry South Eastern Australia GI and sell for cheap
spiritual home of Aussie sparkling Shiraz
Grampians GI
* Best’s Great Western popularized the style
Grampians GI
- where
- top varieties
- top producer
- subregions
WESTERN VICTORIA (along with Henty, Pyrenees)
* reds dominate: Shiraz (88%), Cab lead
* Best’s Great Western, Seppelt, Mount Langi Ghiran
* spiritual home of Sparkling Shiraz
* SOILS: sandy, loamy soils over granite
Great Western is sole sub (est 2007).
Cool, granite terroir. Cooler, wetter than most of Victoria. All about elevation - 140 - 1160M. 640ha planted (2023).
Western Victoria GIs (3)
Henty GI (close to Coonawarra GI)
Grampians GI (Great Western GI within)
Pyrenees GI
Gippsland GI
- where
- top producer
- top grape
Victoria
* spans the Bass Strait coastline
* East, West, South Gippsland unofficial zones - variable climate etc
* South Gippsland’s star is Bass Phillips
#1 Pinot Noir
190ha planted
Min. annual production for an Aussie region to become a GI?
500 tons
Giaconda Estate
Beechworth GI, Northeast Victoria zone
* Chardonnay is the signature - Langton’s 1st
Langton’s 1st’s from Victoria
- Mount Mary Pinot Noir (Yarra)
- Mount Mary Quintet (Yarra)
- Gioconda Estate Chardonnay (Beechworth)
- Best’s Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz (Grampians)
- Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir (Macedon Ranges)
- Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 1 Cabernet (Yarra)
- Bass Phillips Reserve Pinot Noir (S. Gippsland)
Bass Phillips
Gippsland GI, Victoria
*Serious Burgundy-inspired Pinot Noir, 3 labels - Estate, Premium, Reserve
* Reserve = Langton’s 1st
Victoria climate
- Cool, maritime towards the coast with Mediterranean influence
- Inland.. warmer, drier, continental
- Great Dividing Range, Victorian Alps (NE) shelter/rain shadow on the WEST side
- Bass Strait/Indian Ocean = cool water/air
Changes to Langton’s Classification
100 wines, goodbye 3-tier system
TWO levels now: classified, 1st Classified
* Langton’s was inspired by Bordeaux’s 1855
* all wines are classified, but now there are 21 1st Classified’s, 79 Classified
Update: 2023
Basis & requirements for Langton’s classification
Data-led - based on consistency, quality, tradability in the market
- at least 10 vintages releases
- strong track record in secondary market
5 wines with highest Langton’s classification since inception
- Penfolds Grange
- Henschke Hill of Grace
- Wendouree Shiraz
- Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
- Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Australian state with the most Langton’s classifieds?
South Australia: 48
Victoria: 27
Western Australia: 11
New South Wales: 9
Tasmania: 4
