High praise from Halliday
We’ve just received great new reviews from James Halliday for our 2014 sauvignon blanc and 2013 Ferus. The 96 points James gave the 14 sauv blanc puts it among Australia’s top three sauvignons in the 2016 Halliday Wine Companion.
Here’s what James had to say:
2014 Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc
Dry-grown 37-year-old vines give moderate yields at low pH levels; an aromatic, flowery bouquet leads into a crisp, juicy palate that continues to accelerate all the way through to the finish and aftertaste. Fastidious winemaking has thrown all the emphasis on varietal fruit. A master of his art.
96 points
James Halliday, 2016 Halliday Wine Companion.
2013 Geoff Weaver Ferus
Estate-grown, wild yeast-fermented in French barriques and aged on lees for 12 months. It seems clear the oak is either totally or largely used for its impact is on texture and structure, leaving the varietal fruit to express itself with a savoury framework in support.
95 points
James Halliday, 2016 Halliday Wine Companion.
Click here to buy these wines directly from us.
Our vineyards are recognised by James Halliday as a “red 5 star winery” with a long track record of excellence — truly the best of the best.
Early heat, early harvest
The 2015 season was a good one for us. We have made some beautiful wines with the riesling and sauvignon to be bottled soon.
We harvested in early March, continuing our recent run of early vintages. On average harvest is now three weeks earlier than it was in the ‘90s. This is due to warmer than average early season temperatures in October and November which set the vine’s biological processes off to a faster than normal start, resulting in the earlier harvest. We have been fortunate in having not had heat extremes; in fact the seasons have been around average in heat degree days which is a measure of the overall warmth of the growing season. It is the temperature post veraison (berry softening) which is crucial for style and quality, and fortunately these were mild in 2015.
I’m sure our dry grown vines are able to handle the vagaries of the seasons better than if we irrigated. Being 30-year-old vines and so deep rooted they have a steady but restricted supply of water, and if we have a major rain event they don’t take up water as quickly as the more surface-rooted irrigated vines do. I believe that non irrigation, coupled with conservative bud numbers left at pruning (and hence low crops), is a crucial quality factor for our wines.
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