News
January 2012
So far so good for the 2012 growing season. Slightly warmer than average with modest crop levels promises an eary harvest in March.We must pray we avoid the devestating rains of Feb and March last year which made things so difficult.
Mild sunny calm days are what we need now. All those in viticulture are at the mercy of the weather but with a successful harvest in each of our 27 vintages we consider ourselves fortunate.
Our 2011 Sauvignon Blanc has been well received with glowing reviews and inclusion
by Tony Love in his Top 100 wines.
AUSTRALIA’S TOP 100 WINES 2011Tony Love
November 2011
This wine shows its cooler seasonal influenceswith a delicate style rather than the overt grassy-plus-passion fruit and tropical power lift in many imported versions. Here we’re more about crunchy pear aromas, lemon sherbet flavour, great balance and a beautifully dry finish. More please.
94 points
July 2011 Australia's Finest Sauvignon
Wonderful reviews and recognition from James Halliday today in his newly released 2012 Wine Comanion.His list of Australias finest Sauvignon Blanc wines lists us as number 1 with our Ferus and again at number 6 with our 2010 Sauvignon.
The comments note particularly the structure of fine Australian Sauvignon Blanc and this is what we aspire to make; serious wines of depth, complexity and texture, built to age and accompany food. It is my view that fine Sauvignon, unlike the unfortunate stereotype, can meet the standards of all fine wines. The reputation is sullied by those thin weedy or rank wines but Sauvignon does not need to be like this.
The key for me is that the grapes are grown conservatively on low vigour soils in a cool climate then followed with sensitive winemaking.
We are delighted to have our wines recognised in this way.
July 2011
In the face of nature we are powerless. The 2011 vintage was our most challenging in our 28 vintage history at Lenswood. A cool, wet spring and summer made things difficult but the vines sailed through with no problems. Then in March we had 150mm of rain only a week before harvest.
Botrytis mould was there and flourished in the mild, wet conditions. I have always had faith in low crops, mature low vigour vines with plenty of air movement through the canopy but even this wasn’t enough to save us given the rain and extended drizzly weather which lasted for many days.
The good news is that with careful selction of the bunches to pich and then removal of all botrytis berries we were able to salvage some beautiful fruit.
Our 2011 Sauvignon blanc is our lowest in terms of alcohol (11.5%) and had a wonderful fresh acidity and pungent but still delicate fruit. I am thrilled with the result given how difficult it was to achieve.
Sadly no Pinot, Chardonnay or Riesling but that is life. We have had so many good years this was bound to happen at some point. It is the way it is working in the natural world.
November 2010
November 2010At last a “normal” season. Budburst in October, flowering in early December and (hopefully) picking next year in late March or early April. As a grower we all run the gauntlett of the weather and late March is a much safer time to be ripening. The vineyard has never looked better and the flowering is about to begin. Much cooler and therefore later start to the growing season than the last 2 years and a return to near average rainfall and temperatures.
The Tony Love and James Halliday endorsements of our wines are most gratifying. Our styles are always understated and to have them recoginsed for excellence is most pleasing. It can be as an opera singer at a rock concert for fine wine producers. The reviews are below
The Advertiser AUSTRALIA’S TOP 100 WINES 2010
Tony Love November 2010
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2010 94 points
One of the Hill’s most respected artisans has crafted a wine that’s a million miles from the variety’s usual Kiwi pungency. Cool climate Lenswood fruit offers a delicate waft of florals, teasing herbal tastes and captivating minerally mouthfeel that drives the palate for ever. So moreish.
James Halliday’s Top 100 The Weekend Australian Nov 2010
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Ferus Sauvignon Blanc 2009 96 points
This is “the other” Weaver sauvignon blanc, wild fermented in French oak barriques and given 12 months lees contact. No acid was added nor was the wine fined. A striking contrast to all other Australian sauvignon blancs that delivers great complexity and equally great intensity. It also has greater longevity than other sauvignon blancs.
July 2010
An excellent year so far. The vintage was our earliest ever with picking starting on 24th February. Despite this ripening conditions were ideal with mild days, healthy vines and lovely flavours. We bottled our 2010 Sauvignon Blanc on the 19th July and it as lively, fresh and aromatic as ever with its trademark juicy lushness.Our Chardonnay has completed its slow wild yeast barrel fement and is building in flavour on lees in barrel with some regular stirring.
We have been advise that we are a red 5 star winery in James Hallidays lates Wine Companion. This is an accolade which reflects the fact that we have beed a 5 star wnery for 3 consecutive years. Always good to have this recognition
The winter has been cold and a bit drier than normal. Cold is crucial to ensure October budburst which means normal harvest late march or early April, away from the dangerous hotter weather. In this caper we are always in the hands of the weather gods. So far so good!
November 2009
This month we have again received wonderful recognition of the quality of our wines. Both James Halliday in the Weekeend Australian and Tony Love in the Adelaide Advertiser included our wines in their Top 100 selections. The reviews are below. The 96 points for our 09 Sauvignon makes it the highest pointed Sauvignon Blanc in Australia.Halliday’s Top 100
THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
November 14th 2009
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2009
“Estate-grown, handpicked and bunch selected, the fastidious winemaking of Geoff Weaver puts the wine on another plane from the vast majority of sauvignon blancs from the eastern states; the gooseberry and kiwi fruit flavours are intense and penetrating, the palate very long and the dry, almost savoury, aftertaste lingers long” 96 points
James Halliday
Tony Love
THE ADVERTISER Top 100 November 2009
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Lenswood fruit, delicate melon and guava nuances in the aromatics, really pretty wine to begin with great balance in the mouth and a line of texture, freash sub-tropical fruits, deft subtlety all the way from start to finish. Stylish.
93 points
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Chardonnay 2008
Lemon curd and hazelnut aromas almost into persimmons-fully engaging to begin with and beyond, as wild ferment characters add interest along with herbal elements like lemon verbena and even sorrel with a keen balance between natural acidity and unctuous mouth feel- think crisp and refreshing, then a seductive creaminess in the finish. Distinctive.
94 points
Our vineyard is looking well with the abundant rainfall (910 mm for the year to the end of November) and the warmth of the soil giving a good start to the new wine year.
The heatwave of 5 days over 35 deg max in November coincided with the start of flowering on the 13th and all the flowering was complete within a week. Good even set. This was followed by 60mm of rain over the 27th and 28th but no damage done. So far so good.
April 2009
A beautiful vintage now behind us. Later budburst meant ripening later in March. Only one hot spell over summer and that was before veraison so had minimal impact on the vineyard. Our dry grown vines sailed through the hot weather. Crop levels were a little below average.Picking started 17th March and finished on the 27th which is our normal ripening time unlike the previous two year in which we picked early March. The weather was perfect. Lovely flavours and good natural acids in all varieties.
We have made some Ferus (wild yeast, barrel ferment) Sauvignon blanc this year as well as our normal Sauvignon.
Our 2008 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were bottled in late February and I am thrilled with the wines. Tightly structured with great flavour richness. Built for the long haul and sealed with Stelvin to guarantee freshness and no taint.
An excellent review from James Halliday writing about his top 100 tasting;
In the over $20 Sauvignon Blanc group there was a profusion of delicious wines led by 2008 Geoff Weaver Lenswood (94 points) in classic Weaver style, delicate yet intense, thanks to estate grown Adelaide hills grapes picked at precisely the right moment, then meticulous attention to detail in the winery.
August 2008
Some wonderful recent reviews. It is really pleasing to have the highest rating Sauvingnon blanc in the nation in Hallidays Wine 09 Wine Companion.James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2009
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Ferus Sauvignon Blanc 2005
A wine that breaks all the rules; barrel-fermented in French oak, 12 months on lees, and has postively flourished in the bottle over 18 months post bottling. Screwcap. 13% alc
Rating 96
The highest rating Sauvingnon Blanc in the 09 Wine Companion.
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2007
The usual Weaver style; spotlessly clean, with nuances of gooseberry, apple, citrus and grass in a minerally web. screwcap 13.5% alc
Rating 94
Pruning is almost done, good rains in the vineyard and the weather is cold. All this adds up to a positive start to the new year. Cold weather means later budburst and hopefully later ripening so we may avoid the heat. Good rain now means our vines should have sufficient water for their needs over the growing season.
June 2008
What a hard vintage! Record heat wave from the 3rd March till the 17th which coincided with our harvest. It was tough for pickers and also for wineries with all fruit ripening together. We started harvest on the 6th of March (same date as last year and equal to our earliest ever start) and finished on the 17th. Crop levels were about average and a little up on 2007.Considering the heat we got through the vintage well. While the vines suffered the fruit held up. One of the great benefits if hand picking is the ability to leave behind fruit in less than perfect condition. We picked around any heat affected, exposed fruit and the wines we have made have surprised and delighted me.
We have just bottled our 08 Sauvignon Blanc and it is bursting with juicy fruit. Generous but still tight and lively with lovely zingy acid. One of our best.
Our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines are finishing there secondary malolactic fermentation and are looking good. They were picked early so had less effect from the heat.
Feb 2008
It seems the warm early years are normal now.The 07/08 growing seaason is almost an exact relica (so far) of the previous year. I expect we will be picking early March again. 06/07 was our hottest year in the 25 since we started.
The flavours were excellent and if we have similar flavours again this year I’ll be really happy.
No rain to worry us and the vines are in good condition. They sail through without water. I did dig some holes in the vineyard last week and the subsoil clays are still moist so they vines are supplied with a steady but restrcted water supply which I believe is crucial for ripening and flavour development.
Mild sunny days from now till harvest is all I ask!!
More excellent reviews in late 2007.
James Halliday’s Top 100.
The Weekend Australian Nov 10-11 2007
2005 Ferus Sauvignon Blanc
Majestically breaks all the rules by spectacularly improving since it was bottled and shows that sauvignon blanc can be fashioned into stunning complexity. It was 100 percent barrel fermented in French oak and spent 12 months on lees, had no cid added, and is elegant through to its long, fresh finish.
96 points
The Advertiser
AUSTRALIA’S TOP 100 WINES 2007
November 2007
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Starting out with quite powerful sweet limes and herbs, this Lenswood grown number is a full bowl of tropical fruit salad on the palate including honeydew melon and guava all carried along by reasonable structures and acididty to give a touch of crispness to this exotic wine.
92 points
Aug 2007
The new year in the vineyard is beginning. Warm days will start the sap moving and budburst won't be far away. We are almost finished pruning and the winter rain has filled the soil with water; a great start for the year. It will be another early year I think.The 2008 James Halliday wine companion has just been released with some wonderful reviews.
James Halliday Reviews
Australian Wine Companion 2008
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Chardonnay 2005
Ultimate elegance and restraint; wild yeast, mlf and no added acidity; all the inputs seamlessly moulded in the light stone fruit, cashew and cream palate.
95 points
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Pinot Noir 2004
Holding hue well; has developed complexity with some savoury/foresty characters, with particularly good length; medium-bodied within the context of the variety.
93 Points
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Ferus Sauvignon Blanc 2005
A very interesting wine; barrel fermented in French oak, and spending 12 months on lees, it has absorbed the oak yet retaineds the elegance of the Geoff Weaver style; no added acidity, but still has a long, firm, fresh finish.
94 points
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Excellent mouthfeel and balance; acidity insinuates itself rather than standing out among the passion fruit, gooseberry and guava flavours.
94 points
March 07
A really good vintage despite the drought. Our harvest began on Tuesday 6th March and finished on Tuesday 13th. It was our fastest and earliest vintage ever. Crop levels were about average and flavours were (surprisingly) excellent.
The vines showed no ill effects and their leaves stayed geen and functioning which is crucial to ripening and flavour development. We apply no irrigation and the season shows me that these are healthy vines with extensive root systems capable of carrying the vine through difficult seasons.
I had expected the heat to have an effect on flavour but the lively fresh flavours were evident as usual. The wines are now fermenting and I am really pleased we have survived the earliest, driest and one of the warmest seasons we have encountered with such good grapes.
We have continued to receive good reviews for our wines. Here are a couple of the recent ones.
Best Cellars - Huon Hooke.
Good Weekend Magazine. March 17 2007.
Adelaide Hills Sauvlgnon Blanc - Geoff Weaver 2006, $24
The Adelaide Hills region is arguably our best source of sauvignon blanc, in a quite different style to New Zealarnd's Marlborough.
It's less herbaceous and pungent, with riper gooseberry to tropical fruit aromas and, at least, in Geoff Weaver's case, a deeper and more structured palate with better fullness and persistence.
It also tends to age better, resisting the degeneration into asparagus cooking-water that you're likely to find if you keep Kiwi savvy too long.
Weaver is a former chief winemaker of Hardy's, so he knows a thing or two about whites.
His wines are all grow on his own vineyard at Lenswood, one of the cooler parts of the hills, and are regularly among the region's highest¬ quality wines.
Drink this within two years and pair it with nicoise or caesar salad, crudites dipped in aioli, or just sip it as an aperitif. …
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The Bulletin February 20 2007
Peter Forrestal
Geoff Weaver Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2006
The talented and experienced Geoff Weaver makes some exhilarating wines at Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills. This has some restraint and is deliciously different: delicate floral aromas with a hint of lavender and cool, pristine white peach and lychee flavours. It’s fine, focussed and more subtle than most sauvignons as it builds in intensity in the glass. Succulent.
Atypically, this ages well.
41/2 glasses In the top rank.
Huon Hooke Sydney Morning Herald
Jan 30th 2007 Top Aussie White
GEOFF WEAVER CHARDONNAY 2005
Adelaide hills finesse, with tightness and reserve. Subtle roast hazelnut aroma, with a hint of dairy from malolactic. Tangy gooseberry and grapefruit palate, with lots of intensity and verve and it will take some age well. Now to four years.
93 points.
January 2007
A tough year in the vineyard but so far so good. Around Australia drought and frost have caused havoc reducing the expected crush by about 25% overall but we have not had too much impact. Our crops are small but the vines look in great heart. It is an early season and we should have no problems ripening. It is paradoxical that rain can be the enemy in a drought year. Last weekend (20th Jan) we had 50mm of welcome rain and it really lifted the vines. If we have rain like that close to harvest (mid March this year) it would cause problems with splitting of fruit. Here's hoping for mild dry weather close to picking.We run the vineyard without irrigation and it is good to see the vines doing so well in such a difficult year.
Our 05 Chardonnay has caught the attention of the critics. Two wonderful reviews are below.
The Australian Financial Review Magazine
Nov 24th 2006
Philip Rich TOP 20 Wines
Geoff Weaver Chardonnay 2005
One of the unsung heroes of the Australian wine industry, Geoff Weaver has quietly gone about the business of making subtle and well crafted wines at his Lenswood vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, established in 1982. Weaver has devoted himself to the venture full time since leaving Hardys, where he was chief winemaker, in 1992.
This very bright wine exudes elegance with its pristine melon and nectarine fruit aromas and beautifully handled vanillin oak (50 percent new), which sits quietly in the background. The palate is equally linear and refined and there is a lovely thread of acidity that runs throughout the wine, suggesting that this should age superbly over the next five to 10 years.
Ralph Kyte-Powell
The Age
Tues 23rd January 2007
2005 Geoff Weaver Lenswood Chardonnay
GEOFF WEAVER CHARDONNAY 2005
In keeping with Geoff Weaver’s skill as a winemaker, complex winery inputs move this Adelaide Hills chardonnay well out of a simple fruit-plus-oak equation. Instead you get elaborate aromas of wholemeal bread, nuts, peaches and citrus fruits. In the mouth it’s seamless and lingering in rich flavour, yet gently savoury and dry. Delicious.
Ageing? Drink over two years plus. Food ideas: Salmon; snapper.
Price Range: $35-38
***** A superb example, a near perfect wine of great character, worthy of the big occaision.
December 06
The big dry continues but the vineyard looks good. Mild weather has helped create excellent flowering conditions. I continue to be optimistic about the coming season. We need some rain over summer and we should get that. our water resouces after the loss of our dam in Nov 05.Two really good reviews in November. Firstly our 05 Chardonnay was listed by Philip Rich in his top 20 wines in Australia in the Australian Financial Review magazine on 24th November. The full review is in the reviews section. A wonderful accolade.
Secondly our Sauvignon Blanc was chosen as one of the Top 100 wines selected by a group of leading Adelaide Sommeliers and retailers. Always good to have our pure, somewhat understated wines appreciated.
October 2006
We, like the rest of Australia are in the grip of drought. Rainfall so far this year is about half of normal and our dam is only 1/3 full.This will test our growing dryland as our vines still need good soil moisture at the start of the year to get through.
I am hopeful and positive.
Recently we bottled our 06 Sauvignon which is beautiful. It is every bit as good as our 05 but with perhaps a little more aromatic lift.
We'll have the 06 available in November.
The 05 Ferus and 05 Chardonnay both bottled in March are really starting to open up now and are as lovely as I had hoped. The complex minerality of the Ferus contrasts with the supple gentle creamy richness of the Chardonnay. They are both cutting edge wines for us with substantial wild yeast components.
Here's to some rain soon!!
May 2006
A successful vintage and excellent reviews is the news.Vintage was early, our crops modest and the quality excellent. All our fruit was hand picked and we finished on the 31st of March which is our earliest finish ever. Low crops on healthy vines that ripen early are fundamentals of quality. The weather was kind with lovely sunny, warm days and minimal rain. I am pleased we didn't extend into April because the weather was cool and drizzly which is a nightmare for the grower because it is so hard to hand pick dry grapes.
We have had great response to our 05 Sauvignon Blanc, especially after the James Halliday 95 points in his top 101 Tasting.
In addition we had a most complimentary review from Ralph Kyte-Powel in The Age on our 05 Rieslingl.
In my view we are well served by our independant wine writers in this country with their eclectic tastes and international perspective. They do a great deal to alert the consumer to new, interesting and different wines and I for one value their comments greatly.