2011 Riesling

Vineyard

Vineyard

The grapes for the 2011 Riesling are sourced from the entire Riesling vineyard. There was so little fruit in this dry vintage, that we couldn't risk the fruit of the lower rows of the Riesling vineyard for our Silk Purse. The vineyard faces due north on an 18 degree slope with the rows approximately South East North West in orientation on a Scott-Henry trellis system. The trellis is opened towards the top of the slope in a southerly direction allowing important late season sunlight to linger on the hanging fruit. The laminated siltstones and shales of the slope allow for very reliable drainage and a warmer start to the growing season. This is a vitally important quality vineyard at Bloodwood producing high quality fruit each year.

Vintage Conditions

The 2011 vintage at Bloodwood was exceptional in quality, although mean spirited in yields. Only fair winter and early spring rainfalls gave way to a very dry growing season interspersed with irregular, light rainfalls at what seemed to be mischievous intervals. At least the traditional February hot spell across Australia didn’t worry us at Bloodwood, although it did, once again, promote earlier than normal ripening of our Riesling.

Winemaking

The few grapes nature gave us were picked in excellent very early condition on the morning of 24th February and whole bunch pressed into a refrigerated fermentation tank for rough settling overnight. No sulfur was added in the vineyard although 10 ppm was added to the pressed juice in tank. After settling and careful racking, the partially clarified juice was warmed to 18C whilst fermentation commenced. Cooling to maintain 14 to 17C continued throughout a 26 day ferment at which point the finishing wine was allowed to warm to 19 C through to dryness. Fifty ppm SO2 was added as the new wine was racked off gross lees and transferred to a temperature controlled storage tank to spend four months on fine lees. Protein and cold stability tests were followed by sterile filtration and bottling in August 2009.

Wine Analysis

Tasting Notes

What Other People Say

Winewise Review by Len Sorbello

2010 Bloodwood Riesling (Orange)

Stephen Doyle and his wife Rhonda are two of the pioneers of Orange District wine. They have been making wines in their own particular way since their first vintage in 1986.  Bloodwood has developed a reputation for its satirical labels and individual styles, but especially for the quality of its Riesling.  In 2009, Stephen made a particularly good example. The wine displayed vibrant limey notes and mineral characters on the palate, finishing with dry, crisp acidity.  However, the 2010 (made from the vines planted in 1984) is a cracker, and is especially recommended for lovers of the dry, minerally style.  I visited the winery a month or so ago to sample the wine which will be released just before Christmas: "Intense floral aromas with hints of honeysuckle. Very refined, delicate palate with a fine minerally texture, great length and vibrant limey acidity. Outstanding 12.8% Screwcap "

Mr Halliday’s review of 2008 Riesling

Fragrant spice, wild flower and apple aromas lead into an intense and lime-juicy palate, with immaculate balance and length. Screwcap.
12.5% alc. Rating 96 Drink 2020

Mr Halliday’s review of 2009 Riesling

A gloriously fragrant bouquet with a surge of lime/lemon blossom, then an emphatic palate full of lime and a hint of herb; finishes well. Screwcap.
12.5% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2018

Mr Halliday’s review of 2010 Riesling