Description
Hahndorf Hill’s six-hectare vineyard is located at the edge of historic Hahndorf village and on the slopes of a gentle hill which, over a century ago, contained a slate quarry. It is very apparent when walking along the slopes of the vineyard blocks at Hahndorf Hill that slate forms a significant part of the mineral component of the soils.
The vineyard topsoils consist of a sandy-loam and red-clay blend, richly embellished with blue-red slate, quartz and ironstone intrusions. The subsoils comprise deep red clay. This abundance of diverse mineral components in the soil translates into a distinct mineral element in all their wines, which is especially beneficial for their Austrian varieties – such as Gruner Veltliner – at which they excel and have pioneered over the past 25 years.
The Adelaide Hills’ slow ripening, cool-climate environment allows for all their grapes to benefit from an extended ripening season with beautifully warm days and cold nights. This diurnal variation is a significant quality defining factor according to producers of these varieties in their native Austria. Hahndorf Hill believe in environmentally sustainable methods to bring out the finesse and vitality in their wines.
Their debut vintage of Gruner Veltliner (which they affectionately call “Gru”) was the first production of Gruner in South Australia. Huon Hooke of the SMH wrote of the debut vintage: ‘I was shocked by how authentic an Adelaide Hills gruner veltliner tasted. It’s a strikingly close replica of the Austrian model.’ Since then, their Gruners have been awarded numerous Gold Medals as well as three Trophies within Australia, with this wine being awarded 97 points by James Halliday. Commenting on the Gruner Veltliner journey, James Halliday wrote: ‘2010 marked the first release of a South Australian gruner veltliner and Hahndorf Hill has led the way ever since.’
About this wine from the winemakers: “White Mischief is our New World version of Grüner Veltliner, giving free range to the exuberant aromatics produced by this exciting variety.
Fresh aromas of passionfruit and kaffir lime are balanced by subtle coastal notes of dry seagrass. The palate is a driven by volumes of citrus, mango and a lick of grassy texture with a delicious, juicy acidity.
Fruit was destemmed, crushed and chilled to a membrane press. Free run and pressings juices were separated with only the free run component used for White Mischief. The juice was carefully racked away from solids before tank fermentation at cool temperatures with a selected yeast to enhance the unique aromatics of Grüner Veltliner. The dry wine was stabilised, filtered and bottled to capture freshness and fruit expression.”
Fresh new 2025 vintage just arrived! Review for previous vintage: 91 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front. “Starts with a hint of melon, guava, lime leaf, cucumber. The green and the sweet. It’s very pleasant to sniff and sip, with a fresh spice of a white radish lingering in the aftertaste. Not hyper-complex, nor does it need to be but it’ll make you very happy as is.”
Accolades for previous vintage: Top Gold Medal – Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2023; Gold Medal – AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge 2024, Austria; Gold Medal – Rutherglen Wine Show 2023; Silver Medal – London Wine Competition 2024
RRP $31 Our Special Dozen Buy $23.99 when you buy 12 or more of this wine.
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