Fantastic Autumn Releases
Celebrating 30 years
Celebrating her 30th year as winemaker and owner of Mount Horrocks Wines, Stephanie reflects on the massive changes that have occurred over three decades.
Stephanie has led in many areas: introducing nero d’avola to the region while taking classic varieties like cabernet and shiraz and creating elegant varietal expressions – and these are just two examples.
Her success is being increasingly acknowledged. Critic Ray Jordan recently wrote of the nero d’avola: “Mount Horrocks is one of the best Australian examples of this variety I have tasted,” rating the 2020 95/100.
Also released now is the 2021 Semillon, a wine Stephanie is particularly proud of: “Whilst the Clare Valley is renowned primarily for riesling, I have been making semillon for over twenty years and it is consistently acknowledged as amongst Australia’s best.” In fact, critic Nick Ryan recently said “…Toole is comfortably among the very finest producers of the variety anywhere in the world”.
“This harvest marks our fourth year of biodynamics and we’re seeing a marked improvement in fruit quality through better soil and vine health” says Stephanie.
Biodynamic wine is made through farming practices that view the vineyard as one solid organism. Natural materials are used to sustain the vineyard, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are forbidden. As well as regular applications of the cow horn preparations BD 500 and 501, Stephanie regularly applies ‘fish brews’ comprising fish oil, seaweed, molasses, organic matter and lucerne, for ideal soil health.
She also embraces sustainable practices including having planted over a thousand trees each year for the past fifteen years, providing an improved ecosystem and encouraging the return of native animals, birdlife and insects to the property.
This newsletter release is a truly limited one, with tiny quantities of both the reds due to the drought conditions of 2020. Be quick to grab your share of just three thousand bottles of red available, whilst stocks last.
Unfortunately, no ‘Alexander Vineyard Shiraz was produced in 2020, however there is still stock available of the highly awarded 2019 ‘Alexander Vineyard’ Shiraz. (Halliday Wine Companion 95/100)
2021 WATERVALE SEMILLON
358 CASES PRODUCED
Bright pale gold. Distinctive lemon, white peach and apple fruit on the nose, supported by complex, lightly spiced oak. Gentle yet generous, this benchmark Clare Valley Semillon delivers a complete varietal picture of lemon rind, lemongrass, herbal and nutty tones admirably supported by toasty, stylish oak and barrel ferment creaminess. Lingers long, the flavour running smoothly from the tip of the tongue to the back of the palate. Vibrant and fresh now, quite simply delicious – but will age admirably over the next decade.
2020 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
130 CASES PRODUCED
Great depth of colour. Classic cabernet aromas of black currant and herb with a hint of green leaf. A wine of great concentration, deeply flavoured with fine-grained, stylish tannins, lovely oak integration and tremendous length of flavour. Composed and elegant, this is a wine for the finest meal and/or a well selected cellar. To 2040 if you have the patience.
2020 NERO D’AVOLA
120 CASES PRODUCED
Light, bright red, the colour belies the fruit intensity in the glass. Super aromatic, generous scents of violets, cherry and raspberry, with hints of white pepper. Similarly generous in the mouth, this might be medium-bodied and relatively soft in tannin terms, but its fragrant, crunchy juiciness enhances its appeal, with a smart balance of fruit and oak, bright acidity and lovely mouthfeel. Dangerously easy to drink now, will age comfortably to a decade though.
