Winemaker's Journal - Echo Ridge Wines
Anthony Ward - Echo Ridge Wines
Years Of Operation: 5 years. Echo Ridge is a family owned vineyard, after its first vintage in 2006, it has created a name for outstanding Hunter Valley Semillons, and a boutique producer with a great future.
Acres Under Vine: 30, including Semillon, Chardonnay, Verdlho & Shiraz
Annual Tonnage: 45
Cases Produced Annually: 3000
Pruning Methods:
Echo Ridge employs a modified VSP (or verticle shoot positioning) technique. The size and shape of the vine is the result of the grape variety and the climate, but the way vines are pruned, trellised and spaced is also critical.
What the pruner decides to leave becomes the basis for the next year's crop. If pruned too severely, the vine's fruitfulness and strength may be compromised. Conversely, if pruned too little, the vine will push out too many shoots and leaves, producing too much fruit and becomes unbalanced. The overabundance of fruit means the crop will have a hard time ripening, which could lead to fewer shoots and stunted growth in subsequent seasons. Echo Ridge's vineyard team are constantly monitoring how the vineyard is responding to pruning, and adjusts its style accordingly to produce vines of low yield (quantity), that it turn is high in flavour
Winemaking Methods:
Echo Ridge's wine making style allows us to produce premium, limited release wines which capture the disctinctive flavours of the Hunter Valley. Our wines are handcrafted after careful vineyard practices which ensure that we produce fruit of exceptional quality from low yielding vines. Our limited release quantities mean that we can ensure consistenty of flavour ideal for drinking soon after release or cellared for a number of years before enjoyment.
Our flagship wine, Semillon, is treated with a great deal of care and attention throughout the wine making process. From hand selecting the best fruit in the vineyard, to hand picking with the temperature just right, the grapes are transported to the winery, for a hand controlled, soft juice extraction process which takes several hours before all the juice is safely in a winemaking tank, and on its way to being turned into a beautiful HV Semillon. We focus on the fruit and its flavour, and allow the vintage to determine how we treat the fruit and the style we produce for that year.
Winemaker:
Having come new to the wine industry (whilst still running an Investment Bank in Sydney), Anthony's training has been all on the job working along side his team of winemaking experts. His first full vintage was 2008 in the Hunter Valley. Having previously travelled the world to understand winemaking best practice, Anthony ensures his team employ techniques from 'old world' France, and 'new world' United States. Anthony is very passionate about creating the best examples of Hunter Valley Semillon, and is constantly learning from his peers in the Hunter as to how to achieve his pursuits.
What do you like most about working in the field that you do?
I enjoy the learning. Winemaking is a game you are always developing skills and knowledge. From vineyard management techniques, to winemaking styles, label designs and marketing.
How does this years Vintage compare to other years:
2010 was a tough year for us. We have had a very mixed growing season. 200mm of rain from boxing day to late January meant our vineyard team were tested. Fruit was excellent in some blocks and quite poor in others. Our entire shiraz crop has been lost to the weather this year, sadly, being left to rot on the vine. However, the upside is, the fruit we did take off, was from low yielding vines, which had excellent flavour, creating some brillant wines.
Your preferred Echo Ridge wine, if you can possibly choose ?
Our Gold Medal winning Echo Ridge 2007 Semillon, a fine example of a Hunter Valley Semillon, with light lemon citrus flavours, held together by a zesty acid backbone.
What meal would you recommend matching with your above wine of choice ?
Blue swimmer crab in a light tomato sauce, or just simply a plate of seared scallops or fresh Yamba prawns.
For more information about Echo Ridge Wines visit www.echoridgewines.com.au
