Description
“Meadowbank’s vineyard is one of the most important in Tasmanian wine; a whole host of the best quality and most interesting Tasmanian wine brands source fruit from it. The label and winery itself has had a bit of a hiatus but renowned winemaker Peter Dredge has teamed up with the Ellis family to kick things back into life.” Campbell Mattinson
The winemaking fortunes of the Meadowbank label have, as Mike Bennie puts it in The Wine Front, “ebbed and flowed” over the years. In late 2015, all that changed with the arrival of Peter Dredge. The quality of the Ellis family’s Derwent Valley vineyard has never been in doubt. Planted in 1974 at Glenora, near the top end of the Derwent River, Gerald Ellis, with his wife Sue, purchased the property in 1976. Since that time the couple have overseen four major vineyard expansions, the most recent a 10-hectare planting of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Gamay in 2016. Moderated by the river, Meadowbank’s vines are rooted in loose sand and sandstone overlying dark brown, coffee rock, rich in iron oxides and organic matter. It’s what our gumbooted wine grower friends might call “quality dirt”. It’s a terroir that has developed an impressive fan base, ranging from Kate Hill, Domaine Simha, Glaetzer Dixon and Ministry of Clouds, to larger producers such as House of Arras and Bay of Fires.
Peter Dredge’s relationship with Meadowbank goes back to 2010 when he was the man at Bay of Fires/Arras. At that time Accolade leased a walloping 32 of Meadowbank’s then 42 hectares. Five years later, during the 2015 vintage after Dredge had left Accolade to downsize, (establishing his own Dr Edge wine label and his consulting company) he took a call from Gerald Ellis. Ellis wanted to resuscitate the historic Meadowbank label and he wisely wanted Dredge to run the show as a part owner/winemaker. The plan was to utilise the best vines in the vineyard and to do something special. It was an offer that was impossible for Dredge to pass up.
When the news of the partnership broke in 2016, Campbell Mattinson wrote, “Peter Dredge at Meadowbank? Now that should be interesting.” He wasn’t wrong. Regardless of what has come before, you can expect something completely different from this point forward. Peter Dredge brings an enormous level of industry respect with him into the relationship. This is not misplaced. His first set of Meadowbank wines were seriously impressive and helped him to scoop the 2017 Young Gun of Wine People’s Choice Award. They have also received a range of glowing reviews from the critics.
Clearly, Dr Edge (the nickname given to him at Petaluma) has wasted no time in getting down to business, as Dredge and the Ellis family (Gerald and Sue Ellis, their daughter Mardi and her husband Alex Deane) begin to make significant changes in the vineyard. While the new regime’s first vintages are being made, under Dredge’s sole control, at the Moorilla Winery at MONA, the long-term aim is to restore the old winemaking facility at Meadowbank – once active in the 80s and 90s. Regarding the fruit source – specific parcels for the Meadowbank wines have already been identified and allocated. These particular vines are now managed without herbicides and the plan is to explore full organics – something extremely rare in Tassie and an evolution that can only result in even higher quality. And all the fruit is hand-picked.
Meadowbank’s Chardonnay comes off the property’s oldest vines, now well into their thirties. Peter Dredge describes the vineyard as a “beautiful little spot”, with loose sand and sandstone, overlaying dark brown coffee rock, rich in iron oxides. Dredge tells us these vines are hitting their straps, and in the shed he tries to keep his hands off the fruit as much as possible. The 2021 was picked twice–the first parcel for freshness and the second for structure–and whole-bunch pressed directly to French puncheons (just 10% new). Fermented wild, the wine underwent partial malo, while 20% of the barrels remained un-sulphured to take on oxygen-derived complexity. The wine spent the following nine months in barrel on lees before it was bottled without fining or filtration.
From a vintage that most Tasmanian growers believe to be one of the island’s finest, it stands to reason that this is a knock-out. Driven by mouth-watering acidity, layers of crystalline orchard fruits, apple blossom and fresh citrus flow across the palate, which is balanced by chalky texture and citrus-driven tension. The finish is silky, long and pristine.
From Peter Dredge about this wine ..“A delicious, textured and aromatic wine which provides you with a delightfully crisp and pure expression of our cool-climate vineyard. With classic Chardonnay flavours of white peach and lemon curd, combined with a perfect balance of richness, zestiness and earthiness, you will feel as though you have been instantly transported to our hidden valley in southern Tasmania. 2021 is a vintage to celebrate, in fact we’re calling it as one of our best ever! Low grape yields, intense fruit concentration and a steady ripening period have produced something really special here.”
95 points, David Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion “Pale straw hue with notes of juicy white peach, nectarine, apple and grapefruit along with hints of white flowers, marzipan, roasted cashews, Meyer lemon and nicely judged French oak. Oatmeal notes swell on the mid-palate before being reined in by tight, mineral-laden acidity. Finishes long and pure with excellent clarity and drive.”
95 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front “Yes it’s complex, yes it’s lengthy and yes it’s low-ish in alcohol, but it’s also blessed with wonderful flavour. White peach, steel, grapefruit pulp, nectarine and citrus flavours blend seamlessly with dried flowery herbs, flint, hay and cedarwood. It’s lively and lifted and absolutely ready to be enjoyed now, though of course it will also hold and mature from here. The ‘readiness’ of the flavours though surprised me, in a good way.”
RRP $61 Our Special Price $54.99.. VERY LIMITED – Last of this incredible vintage!
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.