"What ever the Next Big Thing turns out to be, Louisa Rose will probably be the one who makes it." - Max Allen, The Weekend Australian magazine, 6-7 June 2009
Louisa Rose, originally from the Yarra Valley and a cool climate enthusiast, has been making the Pewsey Vale wines since 1996. Working closely with Vineyard Manager Darrell Kruger, who has been associated with Pewsey Vale for more than 20 years, Louisa is a firm adherent to the philosophy that 'wine is made in the vineyard' - particularly Riesling which, she says, has a unique relationship with the site.
"Often winemakers have to blend across different vineyards to make complete and balanced wines, but this is not the case at Pewsey," says Louisa. "The old and established vines, planted in 1961 and 1962, naturally set a low crop, and their deep established root systems are able to achieve good ripeness and concentrated flavours. Monitoring flavour development and timing of harvest are the keys to Pewsey Vale winemaking."
"One of the wonderful things about Riesling is the diversity of flavours and wine styles it can make. From austere citrus to fragrant and fruity characters. From light, elegant, fresh young wines right through to fuller-bodied richer dry styles. The style is very reflective of the vineyard site - that's what makes Pewsey Vale exceptional."
Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Rieslings are approachable wines renowned for their delicacy, finesse and intense lemon and lime characters. Grapes are left on the vines to achieve their full ripening potential, made possible by the cooler harvest conditions at the high altitude. Characteristics of Pewsey Vale Rieslings are the high levels of well-balanced acids which greatly contribute to the extraordinary ageing potential of these wines.
Sealing a bottle under a screw cap removes the variability and taints associated with cork. A screw cap also ensures that the wine in the bottle will age under the best possible conditions. The perfect seal of the screw cap ensures that no air or oxygen can enter the bottle. In these reductive conditions the wine undergoes "pure bottle aging" where the fresh citrus flavours remain, and are overlaid with flavours of toast, lemon grass and eventually some honey and possibly marmalade. Since there is no oxygen getting in to the bottle, there is no oxidising or "drying out" of the wine. This means that the colour, while it will deepen into the gold spectrum, retains its freshness and green hues and does not go brown, and that the flavours and palate do not "dry out", but stay fresh with any sweet fruit characters that were initially in the wine remaining.
You can find them at
www.pewseyvale.com
