VINTAGE PICKERS HAVE SWIFT AND STRONG VOICESHAKESPEARE’S SPECTACULAR ENTRANCE

GOURMET WEEKEND EXPANDS WITH ANNIVERSARY

JESUIT SCHOOL BUILDS HOPE FOR TIMORESE

THETIBERSEVENHILL COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2014

ISSUE 018

Inigo Riesling rated as a star performer

Sevenhill’s 2013 Inigo Riesling has impressed the wine critics following on from its Gold Medal at the 2013 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards.

National Wine Writer Tony Love rated the wine at 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as “A cut above” with classic varietal character.

“Captivating floral and honey, and even subtle mint and sorrel lifts the bouquet set of this superb wine on its way. Its wonderful citrus fruit acidity and minerality lingers in the mouth, the flavours delicate yet sliced with lime, yellow grapefruit and even mandarin. A must for any seaside escape,” he said.

James Halliday was equally as impressed, awarding the 2013 Inigo Riesling 92 points in the April/May issue of his Wine Companion magazine. “Bright, light straw-green; the bouquet is arresting, with floral aromas of citrus, honeysuckle, and even honey, that segue fluidly into the flavor-filled palate, playing a reprise of the bouquet,” he said.

While Halliday was impressed with the wine now, it was interesting to note that he observed that it would drink comfortably to 2019 without any compromise to its quality.

Many factors influence vintageAs the 2014 vintage harvest comes to an end at Sevenhill, the usual question will be asked: How good will the 2014 vintage be?

But first,what does the term vintage actually tell us? Vintage is one season’s production of grapes made into wine. Usually the quality is as good from one vintage to the next but different years can have subtle changes in flavour and structure expressed in the wine.

The location of the grapes and the weather conditions of the growing season are critical factors. Extreme weather can affect the vintage outcome and timing is critical. Excessive rainfall in winter when the vines are dormant will have a totally different effect than when the vines are actively growing. Frost, wind and hot weather will also have an impact, depending on the growth stage.

A prolonged cool period in late spring 2013 produced a lighter fruit set and a potentially smaller crop with bunches having below-average berry counts. This was negated a little by the vines producing a larger amount of bunches overall.

A series of heat waves occurred during January and early February, with the potential to keep yields low through heat stress. Heavy rain (105mm on the February 14) gave the vines a timely drink just prior to the grapes showing full colour. This decreased the potential yield loss from the excessive heat and the daytime temperatures became a lot milder, which slowed down and evened up the ripening of bunches.

The mild weather through March and into April was perfect for ripening of the fruit. Picking has been orderly, as the varieties have ripened steadily.

These conditions have produced near-average yield for the 2014 vintage with good concentration of flavours. As always, the Riesling has done very well, with fruit displaying strong lemon and lime characters while on the vine, which is sure to make its way to the bottle. The red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, have stood up to the heat of January and they expressed strong red and blue fruit flavours on the vine.

by Craig Richards Vineyard Manager

The comments from both writers underline Riesling’s ability to produce wines of great purity and structure, making it the perfect single-vineyard wine because it shows more about its location – altitude, soil and climate – than any other.

Writing in a recent issue of the Wine Companion magazine, Ben Thomas noted that “provenance and terroir” are the buzzwords in wine and Riesling’s ability to reflect its surroundings stamp it as an outstanding wine, although it is still to capture the top bracket in the popularity stakes.

“When planted on the right site and carefully cultivated, Riesling expresses tremendous fruit purity,” he said.

And coupled with the ability to achieve balance with varying levels of sweetness, Riesling can also be made to display a wide range of aromas and flavor profiles.

“It’s an open secret in wine circles that Riesling is the great Aussie wine bargain.”

See the Tiber wine offer to purchase the 2013 Inigo Riesling.

Merlot hits the high notes

Vintage pickers have swift hands and strong voice

“Bucket” was the cry that rang out loudly across the Weikert Vineyard as the sun had barely come up one morning during vintage in early March.

Sevenhill’s premium Riesling vineyard was alive with activity as a team of about 20 pickers worked there way through the rows laden with ripe fruit.

The swift hands of an experienced picker do not take long to fill a bucket, which then needs to be replaced by the co-worker responsible for emptying the containers into the large collection bin behind a tractor. Hence, the regular command of “bucket”.

While mechanical harvesting is dominant in the wine industry these days through pure economies of scale, hand picking remains a viable option for premium fruit that goes into the top tier labels of many wineries.

In the case of Sevenhill’s Weikert Vineyard, the Riesling grapes are consistently of the high quality required for our St Francis Xavier Single-Vineyard Riesling and the St Aloysius Bottle-Aged Riesling.

Hand picking means the fruit is harvested in a style that preserves the status of this fruit, which is highly regarded for its elegant expression of varietal quality.

In addition to the Weikert Riesling block, some of the oldest vines on the Sevenhill property, more than 150-year-old Shiraz in our Schreiner Vineyard, are also hand picked because of their premium quality that normally sees this fruit allocated to production of Sevenhill’s

Mike Bennie obviously enjoys his music and the way it can set a tone or create an atmosphere.

Add in a comfortable rug in front of a warming fireplace and you have the perfect setting to enjoy a rewarding glass of wine.

These inviting surroundings were described by Mike in his recent review of the newly released 2012 Inigo Merlot (92 points) in the March issue of Wine Business Monthly.

“Cue the Barry White album and a fur rug in front of the fireplace,” he wrote.

“This (Merlot) is oh so very smooth, choc-berry inflected with molten choc tannins that finish slurpy and silky. Pure-pleasure wine. Merlot for the lovers.”

Sevenhill’s Father Paul Fyfe, SJ, at the blessing of the grapes at the start of Sevenhill’s vintage on February 20.

Mike’s comments underline the reputation of Sevenhill’s Merlot for producing a wine of great depth of flavor.

The old-vine Merlot clone (D3v14) planted on two blocks at Sevenhill is not known for great concentration, yet Sevenhill regularly produces fruit of deeper colour and wines of more character than often shown by this variety in Australian conditions.

As the same clone is planted extensively, why is Sevenhill Merlot different? The explanation comes in two parts. Firstly, Merlot can be testy! It needs a certain soil type to produce its best, not too rich or too poor.

We see Merlot’s best characters (violet perfume and silky texture) coming from

the uniform but not rich, clay loams of our vineyard. Secondly, it’s all in the timing. The aim is to have all the berries ripen simultaneously.

Opening up the canopy at just the right time in November to allow dappled sunlight to strike the ripening berries creates highly desirable, even ripening of the fruit.

See the Tiber wine offer to purchase the 2012 Inigo Merlot.

flagship wine, the Brother John May Reserve Release Shiraz.

With harvesting of this year’s fruit completed in early April, the focus is now in the winery where the 2014 wines are in various stages of development, having gone through crushing and fermentation.

Winemaker Liz Heidenreich is pleased with the results, particularly as the weather conditions in the lead-up to vintage in January and early February were quite challenging with extended periods of hot weather.

“We are happy to see some attractive qualities coming through in the wines,” she said.

“The Riesling is showing some really strong varietal character with lovely grapefruit and lime citrus flavours that are nicely in balance with the acid level.

“These are similar qualities to the 2012 vintage which turned out to be a standout year, so this year’s Riesling is heading in a very positive direction.

“The reds are also displaying quite delicate fruit character, with alcohol around 14 percent, which is probably a reflection of the milder conditions we experienced in March.

“They are not bold wines, but more restrained with elegance and finesse.”

Sevenhill’s Grant Kain with another bucket of prized Weikert Vineyard fruit.

Sevenhill’s four-wheel-drive vineyard buggy

found itself in the spotlight as it took on a

starring role in the February presentation of

A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Shakespeare

in the Vines.

More than 500 people attended the

production, staged in delightful evening

conditions over two nights.

Normally used to ferry staff and equipment

around the tracks and rows of Sevenhill’s

extensive vineyards, the buggy was used

to deposit five actors centre stage following

a spectacular (and noisy) entrance in the

second half of the performance.

Underlining the flexibility of performing

outdoors on Sevenhill lawns, the buggy’s

use also reinforced the ability of Essential

Theatre to provide a highly entertaining

adaption of Shakespeare traditional works in

a contemporary style.

This approach will take a step further next year

when the touring company will bring its first

performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth to

the Clare Valley.

While many of Essential Theatre’s

performances at Sevenhill over 11 years have

concentrated on the more comical themes

of Shakespeare’s classic works, Macbeth will

bring a more serious, darker tone.

Artisistic Directors Sophie Lempel and

Amanda LaBonte are confident the classic

tale will introduce a refreshing change of pace

to the Shakespeare program, again offering

guests two nights of highly entertaining

outdoor theatre at Shakespeare in the Vines.

“We have already started work on our pre-

production for Macbeth and there is a great

deal of enthusiasm for doing this play for next

year.” Sophie said.

Macbeth is considered one of Shakespeare’s

darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in

Scotland, the play dramatises the dramatic

psychological and political repercussions

when evil is chosen as a way to fulfill the

ambition for power.

Shakespeare in the Vines will be performed at Sevenhill in 2015 on Friday, February 27, and Saturday, February 28.

Sevenhill’s premium Riesling block,

the Weikert Vineyard, has delivered

another fine example of the Clare

Valley’s signature variety with the

2013 St Francis Xavier Single-

Vineyard Riesling.

The 2013 vintage is the second

release of this premium Riesling,

which was launched in 2012 to join

the St Aloysius, a bottle-aged Riesling

that was introduced with the creation

of Sevenhill’s premium range in 2006

to honour the Jesuit Saints.

The Weikert vineyard, one of

seven Riesling blocks at Sevenhill,

consistently produces outstanding

fruit from its 0.82 hectares, with the

vineyard’s quality status recognised

with a carefully managed pruning

program and handpicking.

While the initial vintage of St Francis

Xavier was widely applauded with a

rating of 95 points in James Halliday’s

2014 Australian Wine Companion, the

2013 release is also highly regarded.

According to winemaker Liz

Heidenreich, the new release is a

worthy follow-up that exemplifies

Riesling’s great purity, with its floral

style and delicate citrus character.

“The single site definitely creates

a character to this wine that shows

discernable differences from our

other Rieslings,” she said.

“If you are looking for something

special, you will not be disappointed

with this elegant wine.”

Sevenhill’s Weikert Vineyard provides premium fruit for the St Francis Xavier Single Vineyard Riesling.

Spectacular entrance turned heads at Shakespeare

Something special from a single-vineyard

Sevenhill Cellars will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Clare Valley

Gourmet Weekend in May with additional attractions for visitors.

History is the focus of our Saturday offering with guided tours of

Weikert Cottage and St Aloysius’ Church and the Sunday food menu

will include breakfast in addition to lunch on the Sevenhill lawns.

The Weikert Cottage was badly damaged in the 1983 Ash Wednesday

bushfire and a project is under way to restore it as an interpretive

centre and place of pilgrimage and religious reflection.

Guided tours at 10.15am and 2.30pm on Saturday, May 17, will explain

the story of Franz Weikert, who led a group of Silesian immigrants to

South Australia in 1848 to start a new life free of political and religious

oppression, and how the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) who travelled with

him established a presence at Sevenhill, beginning their involvement in

Australia with religion, education and winemaking.

Food and wine followers will have the opportunity on Sunday to enjoy

wines from the Sevenhill portfolio with our Local Affare food menu from

local identities, Phil Scarles and Amanda Waldron, of London Hill Catering.

Breakfast gets under way at 9am, followed by the lunch menu from 11am.

Visitors will be able to enjoy their meals in a relaxed setting, with tables

and chairs on the Sevenhill lawns and be entertained by the melodic

folk tunes of popular music ensemble, Tamarisque.

Supporting the local producers’ theme will be Travelling Bean with

fresh coffee and tea styles and Warrick Grove with olive oil and

associated products.

Sevenhill’s Cellar Door will also be open on Saturday and

Sunday of Gourmet Weekend from 10am to 5pm.

For information on accommodation during Gourmet Weekend,

contact the Clare Valley Visitor Information centre on (08)

8842 2131 or visit clarevalleywinemakers.com.au or email

ask@clarevalley.com.au

Sevenhill wines will soon be available in the

Hong Kong market, with a focus on travellers

using some of the city’s major transport links.

Sevenhill has entered a partnership with Free

Duty Hong Kong, which operates five wine

outlets at railway and ferry terminals that cater for

people crossing the border to and from China.

The wine stores are located at the Lo Wu,

Lok Ma and Hung Hom railway stations and

the China-Hong Kong and China-Macau

ferry terminals.

Sevenhill’s first shipment of wine in late March

included 2010 St Ignatius, 2010 Inigo Shiraz,

2012 Inigo Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Inigo

Merlot and 2012 Four Buckets Touriga Shiraz

Malbec.

Free Duty Hong Kong was established in

1997, with a long-term commitment to the

Gourmet Weekend expands with anniversary attractions

Sevenhill enters Hong Kong market

Tamarisque will be back to entertain Gourmet Weekend visitors at Sevenhill.

Sevenhill’s A Local Affare MenuSunday, May 18

Breakfast 9am-11am

• London Hill Saltbush Lamb Sausage, free-range egg, bacon

& mushrooms with toasted Clare Valley Olive Oil flatbread and

Ma Waldron’s Spicy Tomato Relish

• Freshly baked selection of hand-made Danish pastries and

muffins

Lunch 11am – 4pm

• London Hill Saltbush Lamb Pie with Sevenhill Shiraz

• Red Beef Curry Pie with Coriander Salsa

• Moroccan Spiced Autumn Vegetable Pie

• Pies served with creamy mash and London Hill hand-made

chutneys

• Dessert Decadent Chocolate & Port Trifle with Sevenhill

Vintage Touriga

duty-free trade in Hong Kong and throughout

the region.

The Company is a member of NWS Holdings,

a major infrastructure and services group,

which is involved in transport, energy and

facilities management projects in Hong Kong,

China and Macau.

Sevenhill’s 2013 Inigo Riesling has been selected as one of the

wines on offer at the Adelaide Oval during the 2014 AFL season.

Extensive corporate entertainment facilities have been established

as part of the oval’s major redevelopment for cricket and football at

a cost of more than $500 million.

The new corporate entertainment areas are designed to provide

companies and their guests with prime viewing of sport and other

events, including AFL matches and cricket. During the AFL season,

either Adelaide or Port Adelaide will play at the venue each week.

The opportunity to enjoy fine food and wine that showcases the

best of South Australia’s produce is part of the oval’s commitment

to its corporate dining experience.

The 2013 Inigo Riesling was one of three Rieslings selected in

the wine offering that focuses one South Australian wine regions

and varietals.

The oval’s corporate suites are located on level 4 of the Riverbank

and Eastern stands and the open corporate boxes are positioned

on levels 2 and 3 of the Western Stand and level 3 of the

Eastern Stand.

As well as enjoying outstanding viewing of the football action,

corporate facility holders have the convenience of ordering their

food, drinks, admission ticket and carparking through the oval’s

online system.

Adelaide Oval has been redeveloped to cater for cricket and football at a cost of more than $500 million. Picture: Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority

Sevenhill Cellars’ Winemaker Liz Hedenreich is travelling north again for the annual Noosa International Food and Wine Festival on the Sunshine Coast.

Sevenhill is one of more than 60 wineries from throughout Australia taking part in the four-day festival from May 15-18.

Liz will be hosting Sevenhill’s wine stand in the Festival Village between 10am and 7pm on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18.

In addition to the extensive wine area that represents a diversity of wine regions, the Festival Village will host a culinary exhibition featuring finalists and winners of the Delicious magazine Produce Awards, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations and panel discussions on food and wine that explore the latest trends and issues.

The program also includes a range of special events, at which visitors can rub shoulders

with leading chefs and winemakers for a more

personal introduction to their work. Neil Perry,

of the Rockpool Group, Guy Grossi, from

Grossi Florentino, and David Thompson, of

Nahm, Bangkok, are some of the prominent

chefs who are visiting Noosa for the festival.

More information on festival is available

at www.noosafoodandwine.com.au

or call (07) 5329 6560.

Inigo Riesling joins oval wine list

Sevenhill part of the Noosa experience

The students in the new Jesuit secondary

school in Timor Leste are a joy to behold.

They are so eager to learn that they don’t mind

that their school is still being built around them

as they have their classes. They are so happy

to be studying there that they willingly take on

a heavier workload and longer school days.

They are so full of hope they inspire hope for

their young country.

They are proud to be Timorese and proud

that their country is finally independent. They

want to be in Colégio de Santo Inácio de

Loiola because they want a good education

and to learn values. They want to be doctors,

lawyers, teachers, reporters, priests, nuns,

fishermen and farmers.

One of these students is Jelcia, who wants to

follow in her father’s footsteps and become

a doctor. “‘In Timor, we don’t have good

doctors. I want to be a good doctor in Timor,’”

she said.

Her friend, Esterlita, wants to be a lawyer. “My

father said that this is a good school, and it

will prepare me for the future,” she said.

Both girls live in Dili and make the hour-

long trip to school along a bumpy dirt road,

standing with many of their peers in the back

of a truck that was hired for use as a school

bus by their parents. Their long journey

each day is because the school is in Kasait,

a rural area in which there was previously no

secondary school.

But whether they live in villages or the city,

they are the future leaders of Timor Leste,

which is Asia’s youngest county and one of its

poorest. Almost 40% of its 1.14 million people

live on less than AUD1.35 a day.

Almost half of the population cannot read or

write. But that is changing. The government

has made education a priority, and more

schools as well as teachers with formal

training in education are needed.

The Jesuit education project, with its secondary

school and teacher education institute, is

helping to meet this need. Construction

began in 2012 and will continue for another

five or more years. The school took in its first

intake of Year 7 students in January 2013 and

the teacher education institute is scheduled

to open in 2016. It will take another decade –

and considerable additional funds – to make

the vision of the project reality. Funds will also

be needed for years to come especially to

support children from the rural areas.

The Jesuits in Australia have supported the

education project from the beginning and

they continue to raise funds to help make the

children’s hopes become reality.

11-year-old Jelcia (left) with 12-year-old Esterlita.

Singing the national anthem at the inauguration of the Jesuit education project on January 25, 2014.

Jesuit school builds hope for Timorese

Sevenhill Cellars supports the project through

participation in community fund raising events,

offering our wines towards these efforts.

To support the Jesuit education project in Timor Leste via Jesuit Mission, go to www.jesuitmission.org.au

Now that the weather is starting to cool off with autumn and winter on the horizon, it’s a great time to start thinking about some warming fare.Michelle Lally, of Savannah Lamb in South Australia’s Clare Valley, suggests trying chargrilled lamb with a mix of herb and spice.These char-grilled lamb ribs are an ideal combination with Sevenhill’s 2012 Inigo Cabernet Sauvignon.

CHARGILLED LAMB RIBS WITH CORIANDER & PEPPERSERVES 6 – 8 AS A STARTER COOKING TIME 3 HOURS 15 MINUTES INGREDIENTS2 Lamb Rib Racks (trimmed about 1.5kg each)30gm Coriander seeds30gm Whole black peppercorns300ml Grapeseed oil100gm Light palm sugar crushed200ml Lemon juice 1 Lemon (rind only – finely grated)4 Garlic cloves3tsp Fish sauce

METHOD1 Steam Lamb Ribs in batches in a large steamer over a saucepan of simmering water until tender (1.5hours) Cool, then refrigerate overnight.

Cut ribs into portions & refrigerate until required. 2 Dry Roast Coriander Seeds in a frying pan (30sec). Transfer to a mortar and pestle with peppercorns and finely crush. Combine with the remaining ingredients, season to taste and set aside.3 Heat a large char-grill pan over medium high heat. Char-grill Ribs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned and warmed through (5-6 mins)

4 Transfer to a large bowl, drizzle two thirds of the dressing over and toss to combine. 5 Serve Lamb hot, drizzled with remaining dressing.

When Phil Lally returned to the family farm in the Poilsh Hill River region of South Australia’s Clare Valley, he embarked on a direction that steered away from traditional practices to focus on sustainabilty and the environment.

With his wife, Michele, also contributing to the new approach through her background in sales and marketing, the duo have successfully established Savannah Lamb as a premium meat product based on the principle of raising their sheep in a stress-free environment, with care and respect throughout their entire life.

The Lally’s emphasis on how the animals co-exist with the environment developed from analysis of growth rates and happiness of animals, which had been treated respectfully and hand-reared.

According to Phil and Michele, the reason stress-free animals produce the best meat relates to the acid levels in their muscles at the time of processing.

This philosophy has seen the Lallys develop expansive paddocks, which are managed without any chemicals and protected by extensive shelter belts of trees.

In addition to humane and ethical stock management principles, the meat flavour and texture is developed through feeding with a special mix of Savannah-grown grain and specific pastures, supplemented by specialised hand-feeding to optimise tenderness and flavour.

“The only way to ensure Savannah lambs are stress-free is to ensure their comfort at all times during their life,” they said.

“This includes providing natural environments, including shade and large, expansive pastures.

“This also means no dogs or motorbikes are used to hunt or move the lambs during their life right from birth. This removes the fear factor, which is not part of their environment.

“Each lamb is examined independently and goes through a strict quality process to be handpicked for different customers’ requirements.”

This approach has developed a strong market for Savannah Lamb among butchers and restaurant chefs who want to identify the source and quality of their meat, providing their customers with a distinctive, premium product.

Sevenhill Cellars

111C College Road, Sevenhill, South AustraliaT: (08) 8843 4222 F: (08) 8843 4382 E: orders@sevenhill.com.au www.sevenhill.com.au Twitter: @SevenhillWinesPRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED CERTIFIED AND AUSTRALIAN MADE PAPER

Ethical approach produces premium lamb

Phil and Michele Lally on their property in the Clare Valley.