Fine Old Tawny
Vines
Sevenhill Fine Old Tawny is grown on old vines on the Sevenhill estate,
with viticultural practices having a significant role in shaping the wine’s
character. Grenache, Touriga and Shiraz varieties are allowed to ripen to
around 16 Baume before being harvested. The yield from each vine is
very low as a result of pruning to achieve minimal bunches of
concentrated flavour. The yield is further reduced by the gradual
raisining of the berries as they ripen all the way into late autumn.
Wine
Each variety is managed separately and fermented on skins in the same
way as making a red wine. However, before the must reaches dryness,
an addition of fortifying spirit is made to arrest the fermentation.
This effectively keeps the natural grape sugars (glucose and fructose)
in the wine. Old and larger oak barrels (500-2000 litre) are filled with the
young wine and held for many years. The aim of this Tawny is to present
the taster with a wine showing attractive aged characters, as though it
may have been in the cellar for many years.
Each year, the winemaker creates a blend. Individual barrels are
assessed and wines of varying vintages are combined to create a final
wine of character. In some instances, an old wine will be topped with a
younger wine, creating a blend component that will live for many years
and will contain a small amount of the oldest wine. At Sevenhill, we have
been making tawny port for over 150 years. It is quite possible that each
bottle contains a few molecules of the very first wine made at Sevenhill.

Fine Old Tawny
VinesSevenhill Fine Old Tawny is grown on old Grenache, Touriga and Shiraz vines. The yield from each vine is very low as a result of pruning to achieve minimal bunches of concentrated flavour.

WinemakingEach variety is managed separately and fortifying spirit is added to arrest the fermentation and keep the natural grape sugars (glucose and fructose) in the wine. Each year, the winemaker creates a blend from young and old wines that have been kept in large oak barrels.

AttributesTawny, reddish brown in colour, with spicy raisin fruit aromas underpinned by clean aged characters of roasted nuts. The palate is rich and mouth-filling, initially with flavours of red fruits, smoke and old wood. The palate is long with a satisfying dryness to the finish.

Tawny, reddish brown in colour,
there are spicy raisin fruit aromas
underpinned by clean aged characters
of roasted nuts. The palate is rich
and mouth-filling, initially with
flavours of red fruits, smoke and old
wood. The palate is long with a
satisfying dryness to the finish.

2008 Inigo Riesling
Vines
Sevenhill’s vineyards are planted on gently undulating slopes that rise
abruptly from the surrounding countryside to 500m above sea level.
During ripening, the middle of the day can be very warm, but in
the evenings the temperature falls dramatically and the environment
remains cool until mid-morning of the following day. Riesling loves
these conditions, as it will grow and ripen in the warm part of the day,
then when the temperature begins to fall, water loss slows and the vine
replenishes itself for the next day. Our Riesling is planted on four
separate vineyard blocks within the estate, each with different soils
that fall largely into two groups – silty stone/slate and richer, red loam.
The silty stone and slate soils are less fertile, older and have idyllic
chemistry for grapevines. In these soils, the vines produce leaner
characters; the wines show minerality and a more savoury edge.
The richer, red soils are higher in nutrients, so the vines don’t have
to battle quite so hard.
Vintage
The 2008 vintage occurred in two parts – before and after the March heat
wave. Before vintage, although feeling the effect of the extended low
rainfall, the vines did well. Some timely spring rain delivered a drink just
on flowering and one or two summer rain events helped things along.
We went into a very mild February and, due to the dry conditions,
the vines raced to ripeness. This turned out to be a real blessing,
as the flavours were developed and the fruit was ready for harvest
by the end of February. This meant all our Riesling was in the winery
before the harsh heatwave began in mid-March.
Winemaking
With so much character developing in the vineyard, it’s often said that
if Riesling is picked at the right time, the wine is virtually made.
All the winemaker has to do is to protect and maintain that character.
Riesling’s desire to wear its heart on its sleeve still means that it can
be sensitive and our winemaking must be careful and compassionate.
The fruit is gently pressed, taking great care not to allow oxygen to steal
the flavour. The juice is kept very cool and carefully selected yeasts
ferment to dryness at temperatures of around 12°C. The individual
vineyard blocks are kept separate until after fermentation when blending
occurs. The wine is bottled in July, the best way to capture and maintain
the fresh character of Riesling.

Riesling
VinesSevenhill's vineyards are planted on gently undulating slopes up to 500m above sea level. Warm days and cool nights during the growing and ripening season are perfect for Riesling, as is the combination of stony and richer, red loam soils.

VintageAfter timely rain during a dry spring and summer, mild temperatures and continued dry conditions saw the vines race to ripeness. All our Riesling was in the winery before the harsh heat began in mid-March.

WinemakingWinemaking aims to protect and maintain the character developed in the vineyard. The fruit is gently pressed, taking great care not to allow oxygen to steal the flavour. The juice is kept very cool and yeast selection is critical during fermentation.

AttributesA classic Riesling bursting with aromas of lemon zest and orange blossom. Long and lean on the palate with mouth-watering acidity.

A classic Riesling bursting with
aromas of lemon zest and orange
blossom. Long and lean
on the palate with
mouth-watering acidity.

2008 Inigo Merlot
The vines
The old-vine clone (D3v14) planted on two blocks at Sevenhill is not
known for great concentration, yet Sevenhill produces Merlot fruit of
deeper colour and wines of more character than many other Australian
Merlots. As the same clone is planted across our vast brown land, why
is Sevenhill Merlot different? The explanation comes in two parts. Firstly,
Merlot is a sook! It needs a certain soil type to produce its best, not too
rich or too poor. We see Merlot’s best characters (violet perfume and
silky texture) coming from the uniform but not rich, clay loams of our
vineyard. Secondly, it’s all in the timing. The aim is to have all the berries
ripen simultaneously. At harvest, this moody variety will display the split
personality of an adolescent unless great care is taken. Opening up the
canopy at just the right time in November allows dappled sunlight to
strike the ripening berries, creating highly desirable, even ripening.
Vintage
The 2008 vintage was defined by two significant periods – before and
after the March heat wave. Although conditions in the second half of
2007 were dry, rainfall at critical times in July, November and December
allowed the vines to develop well with reasonable fruit set. A very mild
February, with continuing dry conditions, meant the vines raced to
ripeness with excellent flavour development. Fortunately, the earlier
harvesting of fruit meant that our Merlot was picked at the start of March
before the onset of the harsh hot spell that caused so much anguish.
Winemaking
The 2008 Merlot was harvested on one day and crushed into our
100-year-old slate fermenters, which are the perfect size for allowing the
soaking skins to give up their character to the wine. The must was
pumped over or gently plunged twice a day to gently extract colour and
tannins, and, following basket pressing, was placed in a combination of
new and older French and American hogshead barrels for 18 months.

Merlot
VinesWhen indulged with close attention to moisture and grooming of its foliage, Merlot rewards the patience of this pampered care.

VintageAfter an initial blast of hot weather in the first week of January 2008, the weather settled into a milder pattern, allowing the Merlot to ripen quickly for picking in early March before the onset of a harsh heat wave.

WinemakingSevenhill Merlot is a deeply coloured, full-bodied wine. Our approach is to take low-yielding and intensely flavoured fruit and extract the silky rich tannins through small-batch fermentation.

AttributesClassic aromatics and a full-bodied palate that is marked by the fruit-driven flavours of dark cherry and blackcurrant balanced with lingering chocolate. A serious Merlot that’s upfront with varietal character!

The wine is deep ruby red, with
crimson hues and the aroma of blackcurrant
and spice is classic Merlot. A
rich, smooth palate provides a delightful
balance of the fruit-driven flavours
of dark cherry and blackcurrant, with
lingering chocolate. Gentle tannins and
lingering cedar spice are evident in the
long and persistent finish. The 2008
Merlot is rewarding drinking now but
for those who prefer some age, it will
cellar comfortably for five years.

2008 Inigo Shiraz
The vines
According to the ‘Old Vine Charter’, Sevenhill’s Shiraz vines would qualify
as Ancient – more than 70 years old and some are centenarians. Vine
age impacts on balanced growth through the vine having sufficient
carbohydrate reserves and a large root system to moderate its growth,
according to the seasonal conditions. That’s why the best fruit is always
from old vines in a warm, dry year. Our Brother Lenz dry-grown block was
planted more than 70 years ago and Brother Schriener is a small block of
some of the oldest vines in the country – they were planted before 1860!
Our youngest block is 35 years old, still considered old-vine.
Vintage
The 2008 vintage was defined by two significant periods – before and
after the March heatwave. Although conditions in the second half of 2007
were dry, rainfall at critical times in July, November and December
allowed the vines to develop well with reasonable fruit set. A very mild
February, with continuing dry conditions, meant the vines raced to
ripeness with excellent flavour development. Fortunately, the earlier
harvesting of fruit meant that our Shiraz was picked ahead of the harsh,
hot conditions in early March, placing it safely in the winery.
Winemaking
At Sevenhill, we have a number of unique, open-top fermenting vats.
Made from large single slabs of slate that were mined from the nearby
town of Mintaro, they are now irreplaceable. The dimensions of these
old-world vats are perfect for Shiraz fermentation. A large surface area of
wine in contact with the fermenting skins gives the best extraction of
colour and flavour, and allows heat to escape – still better than anything
invented in the past 100 years! Each fermentation is monitored and
plunged by hand, with careful monitoring of the fermentation’s rate, the
temperature and extraction of flavour. The wine was basket-pressed and
matured in French hogsheads. Blending, using wine made from different
parcels of fruit, ensures our Shiraz embraces the distinctive Sevenhill
character.

Shiraz
VinesWhen we talk about old vines at Sevenhill, Shiraz is at the forefront of the conversation. Our 2008 Inigo Shiraz has a generous character reflecting fruit from vines up to 140 years old.

VintageGood rain at critical times during the growing season and a mild February saw the Shiraz picked ahead of the harsh heat wave that hit in early March.

WinemakingSevenhill's irreplaceable, 100-year slate fermenters provide the perfect dimensions for small-batch, hand-plunged fermentation.

AttributesRich, deep Shiraz. It’s an imposing wine maked by rich characters of plum and mulberry, with a touch of spice.

The 2008 Inigo Shiraz has a dense,
purple-black appearance. The intense
aroma is marked by the rich characters
of plums and mulberry. A luscious
palate shows a generous expression of
fleshy, dark berry fruit, with a hint of
licorice and pepper. A full-bodied wine,
the finish has fine tannins and a spicy
touch.