Posted
by Adam Morganstern
on Mar 18, 2008
in Victoria
Film Director, Julian Castagna and his wife, writer Carolann Castagna, own and run the Castagna Vineyard. Castagna is situated at an altitude of 500 metres five-and-ahalf kilometers outside the historic town of Beechworth in north-east Victoria, high in the foothills of the Australian Alps.The soil mainly consists of decomposed granitic-loam on a base of clay. The climate is distinctly Mediterranean with hot days and cool to cold nights. The land has been farmed biodynamically from the very beginning and their wines have quickly become icons of the new wave of Australian Shiraz. The vineyard is hand-pruned and the fruit is hand-picked and cropped at a bit less than two tons per acre. The winemaking is very traditional using only the vineyard’s indigenous yeast with minimal interference. Elevage varies between 18-20 months using only the very best, tight-grain French oak available, about half of which is new each year.Their intention is to make, as simply as possible, wine which is an expression of the place where it is grown.
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Posted
by Adam Morganstern
on Mar 18, 2008
in Victoria
“True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way. It can’t be gained by interfering.” – Tao Te Ching; Chap 48, Mitchell translation, 1988 Harper Collins.This simple philosophy has always pervaded both our grape growing and our wine making, because ultimately, every wine should be a true expression of the place and the season that created it.The esoteric nature of terroir is allowed to express itself purely by not interfering, and is exemplified by comparing our Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz and Emily’s Paddock Shiraz wines, from our two vineyards that are less than 1km apart.The organic viticulture that we have practiced for over twenty years, is now being taken to another level, as we further embrace the concept of Biodynamic agriculture; holistic, intuitive, proven, old fashioned ways of farming.Since inception in the mid seventies, Jasper Hill has always adhered to the three star charter of quality developed by Mr Nicolas Joly, with the extra dimensions of no irrigation of the vines and all vines are own rooted, that is, not grafted on to nonvinifera rootstocks, to give a pure manifestation of the variety.In the winery, we use minimal intervention to maximise the flavours and textures provided by the well balanced grapes. Our quest remains the production of honest wine that you want to drink, wine with a signature that says Jasper Hill, Heathcote, Victoria, Australia.In recent years we have developed a close friendship with Michel Chapoutier of the Rhone Valley and jointly planted a small vineyard of shiraz adjacent to Georgia’s Paddock. We both excitedly look forward to the results.
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In 1966, on the recommendation of Dr John Gladstones and Viticulturalist Bill Jamieson, Dr Kevin and Mrs Diana Cullen planted the first trial vines in the region. The results of the trial vineyard were so successful, that five years later, the Cullens planted 18 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling on their sheep and cattle farm. Between 1977 and 1978 the vineyard was extended to include Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The Cullens, never afraid of experimentation, planted the first Merlot vines in Australia at this time and trialled revolutionary canopy and trellising techniques. While Kevin Cullen supervised vineyard and winery activities, Diana Cullen was the sole winemaker until 1986, when she was joined by daughter Vanya, who assumed prime responsibility in 1989. Cullen Wines has since evolved into an estate specialising in single vineyard, premium quality wines focused on wine integrity, rather than rapid expansion.The climate and vineyard site dictates the philosophy of Cullen Wines. The Maritime climate of Margaret River allows a near perfect environment in which to grow the finest quality grapes. These rocky soils produce low yielding intensely flavoured grapes and the flavour of these grapes is what creates the fabric for the wine style at Cullen. All vineyard activities ie pruning and harvesting are done by hand and with great care. Quality is paramount and when the hand-harvested grapes arrive at the winery from the vineyard, they are sorted again to ensure that only the best goes into the bottle. The winery is on the same site as the vineyard which means that the grapes do not get damaged during transport.Organic practices and minimal intervention apply to both vineyard and winery with many wines now being fermented with natural yeasts and undergoing minimal filtration. Cullen has “A” grade organic certification with the Biological Farmers Association and hopes to be certified Biodynamic after vintage in 2004.
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