Hot, Hot, Hot!

A week may be a long time in politics but two weeks sure is a long time in the wine industry. The past two weeks have seen an fairly ordinary, coolish season turn into a tumultuous, steamy, damaging fortnight of extreme temperatures and frightening forest fires.

Vineyard owners have watched their grapes slowly cook over the past week and have been left with no choice but to start harvesting in a bid to save some of the crops. Some people have talked of 80% losses and though this seems extreme, yields are inevitably going to be lower than was previously expected. Whilst this may be good for reducing the current surpluses, it is likely to hit those already affected by low grape prices even further. Who said that wine was glamorous?!

The hot weather seems to have followed me on my trip, culminating in 48 degrees in Adelaide with a night time temperature that didn't dip below 34. Adelaide is now in the 9th day of the heatwave and it looks to be last year's record for long term heat

Highlight of the last week (of which much was spent in offices tasting bulk wines) was the trip to Tasmania to visit Domaine A and Clover Hill. Domaine A is always a fascinating visit - quite different from almost anything else in Tasmania or Australia. Peter Althaus' single minded dedication to making world class Cabernet is not only utterly mad, but totally inspiring. Having battled media scepticism and Tasmanian wariness, Domaine A is now firmly on the map as one of the country's leading cool climate wineries.

Tasting through the entire range is an important reminder that current "bagging" of the industry overseas is based on ignorance. There are fantastic winemakers in Australia, many of whom are taking "the route less travelled" and as a result making delicious, class, characterful wine.

Driving north, towards the Pipers River region of Tasmania ( through towns as madly monikered as Bagdad!)the heat built up so that by the time I reached the beautiful Clover Hill vineyard the mercury was rising towards 35+.

Sat out on the terrace of the petite winery, we tasted through an historic line-up of every vintage produced since the inaugural 1991. The complexity of style and crisp acids do not change throughout, though more recent changes to wood ageing of reserve wines has added more richness in latter vintages. Two wines stood out....

The 1998 Clover Hill Brut was on top form. Delicious, nutty, broad and honeyed with crisp acids and a long finish, this was the pick of the regular bottling. The 2001 Blanc de Blancs, not commercially released, was superemely delicious with tangy, honeyed citrus fruit, complex floral, mineral character and great length. Would be the perfect aperitif for my forthcoming wedding!