Megalong Valley Wines

COOL CHANGE

DEEP IN THE MEGALONG VALLEY, THREE BOUTIQUE WINERIES HAVE BEEN QUIETLY GETTING ON WITH THE JOB OF PRODUCING FINE COOL-CLIMATE VARIETALS THAT ARE COVETED BY WINE LOVERS ACROSS THE REGION. DEBRA WYLDE TAKES US ON A TOUR.

Words & Photos: Debra Wylde.

With its serene rural landscapes, towering sandstone escarpments and native forests, the Megalong Valley is a place of extraordinary beauty. An Aboriginal word meaning ‘valley under the rock’, the Megalong is part of the Gundungurra First Nation territory and is rich in Aboriginal history and heritage.

Europeans first settled in the valley in 1838, grazing cattle, undertaking agricultural pursuits and later mining shale. At its height, the Megalong township was home to 200 people – you can still see the town ruins if you walk along the Six Foot Track towards Katoomba. In recent years, the Megalong Valley has emerged as the epicentre of an exciting new Blue Mountains industry – winemaking. The valley is now home to three outstanding cool-climate wineries – Darragh Wines, Dryridge Estate and Megalong Creek Estate. All three are renowned for their passionate and innovative approach to winemaking, resulting in excellent varietals that reflect the valley’s minerality, bracing climate and short growing season.

Inspired by traditional French winemaking techniques, Jon Darragh makes high-quality, small-batch artisan wines from his family property in the Megalong Valley. Jon’s approach is simple: he selects the best possible grapes from the regions he favours and applies great attention to detail to every stage of the process.

Producing both reds and whites, Jon uses French oak barrels to store his wines and a hand basket press for bottling. His expressive and complex wines reflect the fact that the grapes are tended by hand and nothing is rushed. Jon has been passionate about wine and the processes behind it for as long as he can remember.

His career started in earnest 20 years ago, when he began working on vineyards in the Hunter, Orange and Mudgee wine regions. Winemaking was the direction he was heading in, and in 2002 he started a degree in oenology. The scholarship that followed allowed Jon to travel overseas and broaden his knowledge of winemaking in the French tradition.

Deciding to bring his knowledge to the Blue Mountains, with a plan to create outstanding cool-climate varietals, Jon released his first Darragh Wines vintage in 2015 to local and regional acclaim. His small range of six wines – which includes a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Shiraz and 2016 Pinot Noir – can be found in local bottle shops or purchased online. Treat yourself!

darraghwines.com.au

DRYRIDGE ESTATE

Founded by Bob and Barbara Tyrrell in 2000, Dryridge Estate proved to be a challenging growing environment, with the couple struggling against drought for many years. Their persistence eventually paid off, as the pink-granite soil the vineyard was grown on added a distinct and crisp minerality to their varietals, the first commercial wines to come out of the Megalong Valley.

Emma MacMahon and Simon Doyle took the business over in July 2015, bringing a fresh determination to build on Bob and Barbara’s hard work by producing the best cool-climate wines possible from their grapes. Their strategy included engaging award-winning winemaker William Rikard-Bell of Rikard Wines, who honed his skills by undertaking stints in the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Orange and the famed French wine-growing region of Bordeaux.

The combination of high-altitude, premium small-parcel fruit and traditional winemaking techniques delivers flavour, complexity, balance, texture and length – traits associated with all 12 wines in the Dryridge Estate range.

Nestled deep in the valley, Dryridge Estate has become a destination winery, where wine tastings, weddings and events take place on a regular basis. Emma and Simon’s hospitality ensures that your winery experience will be exceptional – after wining and dining at the Cellar Door and taking a wander around the beautiful grounds, you can extend the serenity by staying at the property’s 4.5-star accommodation. It’s a glorious way to spend a weekend.

Established in 2002, Megalong Creek Estate is a family owned and run vineyard where father and daughter Mike and Kim Draguns are committed to producing Single Estate wines (wines made entirely from grapes owned by the winery).

They have been growing Pinot Grigio, Viognier and Shiraz from the start, and in 2018 diversified the vineyard by planting Pinot, Grenache and Mourvèdre varieties. Once the grapes grown on the property have been harvested by hand, they are transported to Mudgee and turned into wine by highly regarded third-generation winemaker Jacob Stein, of Robert Stein Winery & Vineyard.

A visit to the Megalong Creek Estate cellar door gives you the chance to sample the small but perfectly formed wine list and enjoy a grazing platter while Mike and Kim regale you with the collective wine knowledge they have gathered from around the world. You can try their latest addition, Prozzante (a 2018 light and sparkling Prosseco-style dessert wine) and hear about plans to create a new cellar door ideal for larger groups and celebrating special occasions.

As you sit back and soak up the beautiful escarpment views, the younger family members can feed the alpacas and take a run around the paddock. They may never want to leave!

megalongcreekestate.com

BOTTLED UP

If you can’t make it to the Megalong Valley in the near future, Debra suggests that you seek out the following wines at your nearest bottle shop: • Darragh Wines 2016 Chardonnay: Easy on the palate now and destined to age to perfection, this complex drop features refreshing hints of nectarine and lemon, and a gentle, creamy texture. • Darragh Wines 2011 Shiraz: Spicy and peppery with restrained, powdery Mudgee tannins, this Shiraz has been produced in the complex Rhône Valley style. • Dryridge Estate 2017 ‘Alexander’ Pinot Noir: Gorgeously light, this delicate and perfumed wine boasts scents of earth, spice, cherries, strawberries, herbs and raspberries. It is destined to keep developing for up to seven years. • Dryridge Estate 2017 ‘Isabelle’ Riesling: Pale with lifted floral and grassy aromas resulting from the Megalong Valley’s shorter growing season, this fruity wine has been crafted in the classic Alsation style. • Megalong Creek Estate Viognier: Light and crispy, this dry white wine has apricot and lime characteristics and pairs perfectly with spicy food. • Megalong Creek Estate Pinot Grigio: This late-harvest dessert wine is smooth and full in body and flavor with crisp and fruity notes of apple, pear, vanilla and orange peel.