Off the Press - Spring 2021 Edition 89

Off the

Press

New Vintage & Varietal Releases | Unlocked Museum Collectables Vineyard Update | Winery Report | Crosswords | Recipes and more...

SPRING EDITION

#89

In the vines with Belinda Spring has arrived in the Hunter Valley. The nights became warmer and the vines awoke from their winter dormancy. We saw the first signs of budburst across the Chardonnay, closely followed by Verdelho and Semillon in late August.

The Hunter Valley experienced an average winter with little rain fall, and only a few cold frosty mornings…but as the grapevines continue to grow through spring and into summer they will go through their different growing stages, into ripening, before being harvested in mid-January.

One question I’m often asked is; “What exactly is budburst?”

Budburst is the emergence of new leaf,signalling the start of the growing season.

Over winter, the vines remain dormant but as we approached spring a combination of air and soil temperatures triggers the sap in the vine to flow and the dormant buds on the vine begin to swell and break open as the first leaves unfold.

Signalling bud-burst and the start to the new growing season.

The vineyard team have been kept very busy, spreading mulch under the vines to assist in retaining soil moisture, suppressing the growth of weeds and adding micronutrients to the soil.

At Briar Ridge Vineyard we use ‘grape marc’ (a byproduct from the winemaking process) to spread under the vines. Grape marc in simple terms, is the leftover stems, seeds and skins that is mixed with recycled green waste, and then allowed to compost.

Fingers crossed for some lovely spring rain which will be great for giving the vines the best start to the growing season possible.

Cheers, Belinda Kelly | Vineyard Manager

To the winery with Alex This signal of the new season is a wonderful time of year as we commence preparations for a new harvest.

We have ordered new barrels, as well as scrubbed and cleaned older barrels for re-use.

Refreshing the winery with a top to bottom clean and service, all of our machinery is a must before we begin to crush again!

At this stage, majority of the 2021 white wines are in the bottle, leaving just the Chardonnay, which needs a few more months in oak before it is ready.

The reds have been racked from their barrels, then returned to the same oak after a quick clean. This introduces small amounts of oxygen into the wines helping to soften the tannins.

Personally, I’m beyond pleased with the 2021 whites, particularly the Dairy Hill Semillon. With its fine-boned structure, lime leaf aromas and crisp green apple fruit, it will certainly provide enjoyment for those of you who love refreshing acidity, like me.

Also, for the third year consecutively, we have secured 5 stars in the James Halliday Wine Companion. This is a wonderful recognition for us and demonstrates the quality of our wines that have been released in recent years. This year we’ve seen five wines rated Outstanding including; 95 point scores for our 2013 Stockhausen Semillon, 2013 Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Shiraz and our 2019 Stockhausen Shiraz. These are truly wonderful wines which show a great deal of typicity* for our unique regional style.

I look forward to when we can all enjoy a glass of wine together in the near future and I hope that you all enjoy your most recently delivered wines.

Warm Regards, Alex Beckett | Head Winemaker *Typicity: When the wine reflects both the varieties they are made from and the region it is produced in.

Eg. 2019 Stockhausen Shiraz. It’s typical for the variety with its red cherry fruit and white pepper aromatics, but also reflects the region with its earthiness and savoury structure.

2021 ‘Which Way’ Pinot Gris Aptly named, our Pinot Gris hailing from ‘Which Way’, whether it be from the Hunter, Orange or Wrattonbully, offers the best fruit of these three terroirs in one bottle.

This refreshing Pinot Gris was matured on yeast lees for 5 months, making for a wine with incredible texture and generous length.

Our ‘Which Way’ Pinot Gris has notes of spiced Fuji pear, floral perfumes on the nose and white stone-fruit flavours, rounding off with a creamy palate texture.

Pairs with: Mushroom arancini balls or salmon salads

$20

Members Price (RRP $25)

Look who is back... back

2021 Muscat Semillon Pinot Noir This blood orange hued drop will be on high rotation now that spring has sprung.

With a heady mix of Hunter Muscat, Semillon and Pinot Noir; this blend makes for a smooth and refreshing wine that can be served at either room temperature for a fuller mouth feel or chilled in summer.

On the nose, this Vegan-friendly wine offers highly aromatic notes of acacia and violet but is also infinitely thirstquenching, with a citrus-driven palate and mild savoury spice to finish.

Pairs with: Highly flavour foods such as Indian cuisine and strong hefty cheeses.

$20

Members Price (RRP $25)

And a new release... release

Unlocked! Rare and Collectable We have opened the doors to our museum collection and are offering you the chance to taste the evolution of Briar Ridge Vineyard in a bottle.

Enjoy a vertical tasting of your own as you compare and contrast between back vintages and the current.

Observe how careful cellaring of a wine can shape what ends up in your glass.

Whether you are new to the art of cellaring or would just like to add a few more bottles to your stash, you can explore two vintages now and continue-on with the education in years to come, by putting the other two bottles down.

This is our finest varietal expression…Wine is art in a bottle; constantly ageing, evolving and changing.

Available for purchase via email, over the phone on 02 4990 3670 or at www.briarridge.com.au/unlocked

For the Shiraz lover...

2 x Museum 2010 Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Shiraz 2 x 2019 Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Shiraz 2 x Briar Ridge Vineyard etched Schott Zwiesel stemmed glasses

$305 (RRP $404)

For the Chardonnay expert...

2 x Museum 2013 Single Vineyard Briar Hill Chardonnay 2 x 2019 Single Vineyard Briar Hill Chardonnay 2 x Briar Ridge Vineyard etched Schott Zwiesel stemmed glasses

$203 (RRP $274)

For the Semillon fiend...

2 x Museum 2009 Stockhausen Signature Semillon 2 x 2019 Stockhausen Signature Semillon 2 x Briar Ridge Vineyard etched Schott Zwiesel stemmed glasses

$181

(RRP $246)

Home-Made Recipe From long time members; Gary Phillips & Francene Farragher, who have been a part of the Vintage Wine Club since 2001! Francene’s flair for cooking and Gary’s talent for ‘pairing the wine’ is now giving us all the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen!

Sheikh Mushatah - Grilled Eggplant with Yoghurt Sauce.

Best served with Lamb Backstrap coated in a cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika rub. Lightly oil the lamb backstrap, mix the spices for the rub and coat the lamb. Cook the lamb in a pan or chargrill on the BBQ. Yum!

INGREDIENTS: 2 eggplants (halved lengthwise) 2 tbsp olive oil Salt & pepper YOGHURT SAUCE INGREDIENTS: 150 g Greek yoghurt 3 tsp tahini 1 lemon, juiced 2 garlic cloves, pressed Salt to taste METHOD: Heat the oven to 220 degrees.

Rub the eggplant halves with olive oil and then salt and pepper liberally.

Grill for 20-30 minutes until they are done and the edges are somewhat charred.

SAUCE: For the sauce, mix the yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a bowl. Thin the sauce with 2-4 tbsp water and add salt to taste.

Make the salad by tossing the tomato and parsley with olive oil and lemon zest.

TO SERVE: 1 tomato, diced 1 handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 lemon, zested 15 g pine nuts, toasted

Gary recommends pairing Francene’s dish with...

Briar Ridge Vineyard’s Limited Release H.R.B Shiraz Pinot Noir or Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Shiraz

PLATE: Arrange the grilled eggplant halves on a plate, top them first with the yoghurt sauce, the tomato and parsley salad and top with toasted pine nuts.

Serve with the thinly sliced lamb.

BON APPETIT!

Do you have a home-made recipe that you’d like to share with your fellow Vintage Club Members?

Send an email to Grace at vintageclub@briarridge.com.au to be featured in our Summer 2022 issue of ‘Off The Press’

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WIN A MAGNUM!

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Text the codeword that you reveal to 0455 173 553 and go in the draw to win a Magnum of 2014 H.R.B Shiraz Pinot Noir!

(Valued at $183 RRP) Winner will be drawn on 15th November 2021

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Down 1. Our Single Vineyard Chardonnay Block 2. Sugar measurement in grape juice 3. A varietal popularised by South America 4. Large format bottle; ‘Great’ in Latin 5. French name for Australia's most popular varietal 6. To combine 7. Secondary constituent in our Signature Sparkling 8. The varietal we produce whose homeland is Barbera d'Asti 10. Our Fume is a traditional French style of this white varietal 13. Pinot Noir is famously made in this French appellation 15. Briar Ridge Vineyard produces this Campanian white varietal 16. Our wine range named after a Hunter Valley Living Legend 17. The age that Briar Ridge Vineyard will be celebrating in 2022

Across 21. One of the three primary growing regions for Briar Ridge Vineyard 22. Most cork trees are grown in this country 23. Appellation 25. A varietal whose name is derived from the Spanish word for ‘early’ 26. Colour source for wine 32. NV; (3,7) 33. A maker or repairer of barrels 35. Style made popular by Provence, France 36. Maturation vessel material 38. Evidence of the world’s oldest known winery was located in this country 39. The Hunter Valley’s most reputable white varietal 43. One of the three primary growing regions for Briar Ridge Vineyard 44. Our ‘Sticky Hive’ is this style of wine

9. The world's most popularly planted varietal 11. Post-Harvest vineyard maintenance 12. A sub-region of the Hunter Valley where our Cellar Door is located 14. Roman god of wine 16. Wine steward 18. Process of stirring lees back into the wine 19. ABV; (7, 2, 6) 20. Briar Ridge is one of a handful to produce this Iberian varietal in Australia 24. One of the three primary growing regions for Briar Ridge Vineyard 27. Vitis vinifera insect pandemic 28. Structural component of only red wine

29. A specialist in the cultivation of grapes 30. A wine lover 31. Primary constituent in our Signature Sparkling 34. Pseudonym for Sleeping Beauty 37. 500L Oak Wine Barrel 40. Bottle containment device 41. Our NV Muscat utilises this method of winemaking 42. Fault in wine causing an odour of wet cardboard 44. Lack of sugar. Not sweet 45. 3L bottle of wine; king 46. Winemaking vessel 47. The family who owns and operates Briar Ridge Vineyard 48. Stage of sparkling wine production performed to balance acidity

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