Clonakilla not making wine from any NSW vineyard this year 2020 due to Bushfire smoke taint
The highflying Clonakilla Winery in Australias Canberra Wine District has announced that it will not make wine from any vineyard in New South Wales this year.
The decision was announced by Tim Kirk several weeks ago and I had further confirmation of the exact circumstances on a visit to the winery last Friday.
“Analysis of ripening grapes from our estate vineyard in Murrumbateman and the vineyards of our longstanding grape suppliers in the Hilltops region around the town of Young has revealed unacceptably high levels of smoke taint across all varieties and all vineyard sites,” said Tim Kirk in his media release replicate in full below.
“It is important to the Kirk family, to our growers and to the entire Clonakilla team that anyone who purchases our wine can have confidence that the Clonakilla label on a bottle is a guarantee of high quality.”
“Having experienced a barrage of smoke from fires on every side this Summer, that is not a guarantee we can deliver from the 2020 vintage.
“We want to assure all our friends and supporters that we will not run out of wine. Being an agricultural business, we know we are entirely dependant on the weather. Losing a vintage is always a possibility. We have wines in reserve, stored in our museum cellar in advance for a situation just like this.
“The 2018 and 2019 vintages, in particular, delivered many wonderful wines which will find their way on to the market over the next eighteen months. There will be enough Clonakilla to go around!”
Tim says the cellar door will continue to be open every day for tastings and sales.
Tim also said that the “The severe drought and unprecedented bush fire emergency has made 2020 the toughest year in living memory for the Australian wine industry and for Australian farming in general,”
Tim also expressed his concerns for growers in other wine regions around the country who have suffered more devastating effects from the direct impact of Bush fire, notably in the Adelaide Hills and Tumbarumba.
My visit provided me with a good excuse to try the wine on display on tasting at the winery,..on my drive back to Sydney from Canberra. I guess this is now one of my favorite wine regions as they are developing new wines and there are always a few surprises. For instance, Tim Kirks winemaker Bryan Martin has his own label Ravensworth and is experimenting with Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera and as well as Tempranillo. experimenting with great resulkts,..not surprising as I belive he has done a vintage in italy as well.
2019 Riesling
Murrumbateman’s cool, continental climate and decomposed granite soils are perfectly suited to Riesling.
The weather leading up to vintage 2019 was marked by lower than average rainfall in winter and spring. Things were just starting to look seriously dry when two rain events in January came to our rescue, delivering 110 mm between them. The grapes were picked in perfect condition and full of intense flavour.
Drink now for its razor fine floral, citrus-edged fruit or cellar for up to 15 years and watch it develop lime and toast characters with age.
2018 Hilltops Shiraz
This Shiraz is made from grapes selected from five vineyards in the Hilltops district around Young on the South Western Slopes of New South Wales.
In 2018, lower yields and a warm late Summer produced the level of fruit intensity that you see in the greatest years. Punchy dark berry aromas with flashes of red floral tones. Round, ripe and generous in the mouth.
Another classic Hilltops Shiraz.
Drink now or cellar with confidence for ten years or more.
2018 O’Riada Shiraz
Sean O’Riada is one of the heroes of modern Ireland. A talented musician and composer, he is credited with taking traditional Irish music out of the kitchens and pubs of Ireland and putting it on the concert stages of the world. He died, prematurely, in 1971, the year Clonakilla was established by John Kirk. He was John’s cousin.
A hail storm on January 9th gave us plenty to worry about, reducing what was already a small crop. Mercifully, the vines recovered well.
We had rain when we needed it then a brilliant ripening season marked by a run of gorgeous weather in the crucial late Summer and early Autumn.
The O’Riada is a quintessential Canberra Shiraz, fully charged with spice, floral notes and ripe red fruits.
2017 Ballinderry (Bordeaux Blend)
Ballinderry is Irish for ‘place of the oak’ and is named for the great oak tree planted in the top corner of the property when Clonakilla was established by John Kirk in 1971.
The 2017 vintage was built on the wettest winter and early spring that any of us can remember. The early rain turned out to be a blessing, given the warm and generally dry summer that followed.
The Ballinderry is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted between 1971 and 1987. The steady warmth and moderate humidity of 2017 suited these varieties down to the ground.
2018 Shiraz Viognier
The Shiraz Viognier is our flagship, a careful selection of the best of the Shiraz Viognier parcels we craft each year from our Murrumbateman vineyard.
A hail storm on January 9 gave us plenty to worry about, reducing what was already a small crop. Mercifully, the vines recovered well. A brilliant ripening season followed, marked by a run of gorgeous weather in the crucial late Summer/early Autumn.
Opulent aromas of roses, violets and layered spices, ripe berries of every hue. Perfectly formed tannins frame complex fruit flavours across the palate. This wine will age magnificently.
