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| Outstanding Langtons Classification. The locals around the Lovedale property say that the sandy soils are so poor, that even the rabbits have to bring a tucker box just to survive! The lean and mean terroir is elemental to the long lived, fine boned style. Mount Pleasant» |
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| A collation of superior vineyard parcels, crafted by a boutique estate which has been recognized as one of Australia's leading wineries. Clonakilla are dedicated to making distinctive, handcrafted wines, only ever released in limited quantities, anything by Clonakilla can be hard to find, but they are worth the search. Clonakilla» |
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| Blackjack has claimed the eminent M.Chapoutier Trophy for Best Shiraz at the prestigious Le Concours des Vinson on no fewer than three occasions. Block 6 is a superior parcel of distinguished vines, renowned within the Bendigo district for producing a very high quality, intensely fruit driven Shiraz. Blackjack» |
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| Of particular importance to Shadowfax are the very close relationships with a select group of growers who provide harvests of the most intensely flavoured fruit. A prolific trophy winner, Shadowfax are a refreshing new wave, vigorously fruit driven, livelier than her Victorian siblings, characterised by slatey, flavoursome acidity, a touch of lees complexity and judicious dryness. Shadowfax» |
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| Gold Medal Winner at the highly prestigious London International Wine Challenge! The taste is very sweet, smooth, pronounced and delicous, just like dried raisins or rich tawny grape juice. Serve at cool room temperature with fine desserts, pastries and cake, pour liberally over the best quality ice creams. Lustau» |
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| Positioned half way between Avoca and Ballarat, the modestly sized Amherst have only ten acres under vine. The small yields translate into extraordinarily structured, powerfully intense wines, brimming with fine aromatics and lined with silky tannins. Amherst» |
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| An auspicious construct of Barossa Shiraz, which has claimed significant awards throughout its illustrious history, including gold at the prestigious London International. Peter Scholz is one of the Barossa's most capable and respected winemakers with a heritage that dates back to early settlement. Willows» |
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| The inaugural release of Hanging Rock Shiraz was vintage 1987 and what an event it was, immediately claiming gold and inspiring comparisons to Grange by the industry press. From from fruit grown to the estate Athols Paddock, a complex Heathcote style, more Syrah than Shiraz, boasting several trophies and over fifty gold to its distinguished history, big, powerful and rich, yet exhibiting an elegance and finesse that's rare in Australian wine. Hanging Rock» |
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| Perfect balance in wine cannot be manufactured, it occurs naturally. Gemtree achieves this elusive idyll. Gemtree» |
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| Named for a rare grasshopper Sigaus childi, found only at Central Otago within the Earnscleugh gold mine tailings, just across the road from Grasshopper Rock vineyard. The site is fortuitously harsh and sufficiently challenging to make the vines work their hardest. Grasshopper Rock» |
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| A single vineyard, strongly terroir wine by maestro Ken Helm AM, from fruit picked off neighbour Al Lustenberger's property, only released under the premium black label if it reaches the highest quality benchmarks. Since 2005 the collaboration of Lustenberger and Helm has claimed more than fourteen trophies. Helm» |
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| There's a single block of Montepulciano along Bird In Hand Road at Woodside in the northern Adelaide Hills, a warmer site with rocky, well drained soils, perfectly suited for Italians. The seaside influence of Gulf of St. Bird In Hand» |
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About Loveblock - the Winery
Loveblock
Loveblock is a place of clean soils, healthy fauna and abundant flora, pure natural surrounds, sound viticutural practices and of course, great great wine
Back in 2004, Loveblock was a wild piece of land, untamed and hidden from the world. After working in the wine industry for most of their lives, Erica and Kim wondered what they could do with this wildness, how would the unique terroir translate to flavours in wine? Could they make wine that is elegant, restrained and complex? Wine that speaks of its place and season. Here in New Zealand land is precious; the economy largely depends on agriculture. As grape growers and wine farmers, Erica and Kim are custodians of this land. They must take care of it, restore soil balance and fertility without commercial fertilisers and chemical protection. They have learned that the rhythm of the land is immoveable, that we need to submit to it and respect it to get the best from it.
Erica and Kim want to make the best wine they can, wine that speaks with the voice of naked terroir. To do this, they hired the best winemaker in the land! At the heart of their environmental practice and ethical farming is the triple bottom line concept, Profit People Place, which directs the business and balance sheet, human resources and the overall health of those people in the business as well as the land and farming methods. Loveblock have a deeply held belief that people are custodians of their land. They farm it and grow grapes in accordance with Organic Certification standards, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand principles and low chemical intervention farming.
Grapes harvested from organically grown vines vary significantly from those harvested from conventionally or SWNZ grown vines. Organic vines compete with grasses for minerals and water because weeds and grasses are not killed using chemical herbicides.
Vigor is naturally curbed, plants are less active at harvest time and therefore deliver lower yields and around two weeks later than conventionally grown grapes. With Sauvignon Blanc for instance, the flavour profile at harvest is less pungent for various reasons.
Once harvested and in the winery, Organic Certification directs a low intervention regime that rejects using certain compounds routinely used in winemaking. Only organically certified products can be used, including yeasts and fining products. With limited yeasts available to capture a wider flavour spectrum and a lot of fining agents out of bounds, the organic winemakers’ toolbox is a lot more limited. In all cases, organic wine is a pure expression of the vineyard site and the handprint of the winemaker is much smaller. Winemakers have to be more careful, the flavours are more fragile and the thread of balance striven for in the vineyard needs to be retained. The wines are processed in a small Organically Certified Winery, developing at their own pace.
At Loveblock Farm, the anchor Estate Vineyard in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley is certified organic by BioGro New Zealand. The Loveblock team incorporate methods that are centuries old, such as composting to promote biodiversity and build soil, but they also draw from modern technology and equipment to make the vineyards more carbon efficient. Great wine of course, follows suit.
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