Seppelt Senior Winemaker, Clare Dry, paid tribute to the icons of Australian wine who have been at the helm of winemaking at Seppelt when she announced the 2021 Seppelt Luxury Collection today.
Dry said: “Names including Benno and Karl Seppelt, Charles Pierlot, Ian McKenzie, Colin Preece and most recently Adam Carnaby, have been transformational not only just for Seppelt, but the Australian wine industry in general. There is a little bit of each of them in the wines we have released today – and that’s pretty special.”
As Seppelt celebrates its 170 years of winemaking, Dry was celebrating her first release with the winery: the 2021 Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Riesling.
She said: “I experimented with different techniques including whole bunch pressing, hand pick with crush to press, and different levels of solids in the ferment. The resulting wine is classic Drumborg, with tight mineral acid and a seamless palate of florals and citrus fruit with a hint of exotic spice.”
The Drumborg is one of seven wines in this year’s Collection comprises sourced from Victoria’s Grampians, Heathcote and Henty regions. The 2019 Seppelt Arrawatta Hill Grampians Shiraz is a special release to commemorate 170 years of winemaking heritage this year.
“The 2021 Collection offers three contrasting 2019 single vineyard expressions of Shiraz: one from Heathcote and two from Great Western in the Grampians. The Arrawatta blocks of our Great Western vineyard produce some of our finest Shiraz, yet we have never crafted a single-block red from there until now. Headlining this year’s Collection is a new shiraz commemorating 170 years of Seppelt history: the 2019 Seppelt Arrawatta Hill Grampians Shiraz,” Dry said.
“Also sourced from our Great Western Vineyard in 2019, but from select sections of the Bass and Arrawatta blocks, is our flagship St Peters Shiraz, featuring graphite tannins, bright fruit aromatics and great cellaring potential. Conversely, the more brooding 2019 Mount Ida Heathcote Shiraz displays dark blueberry fruits on the nose and classic Heathcote tannins.”
The 2019 Seppelt Arrawatta Hill Grampians Shiraz and St Peters Shiraz have been well received by critics:
2019 ARRAWATTA HILL LIMITED RELEASE GRAMPIANS SHIRAZ
- 97 points, Andrew Caillard MW “Generous and ample bodied with superb vinosity and mineral length.”
- 97 points, Ray Jordan “There is a beautiful purity which shines through on the engaging aromas and bright palate.”
2019 ST PETERS GRAMPIANS SHIRAZ
- 98 points, Ray Jordan “This consistently ranks with my best Australian releases each year”
- 97 points, Huon Hooke “Richness, concentration, and impossible elegance…a great shiraz”
From famed Drumborg Vineyard in south-west Victoria’s Henty region are the 2020 vintages of Drumborg Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier as well as the 2015 Salinger Vintage Cuvée – a pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier blend spent five years on lees in tirage before disgorgement in the Méthode.
The 2021 Seppelt Luxury Collection is now available from seppelt.com.au and select fine wine retailers nationally. The wines are:
- 2019 Seppelt Arrawatta Hill Limited Release Grampians Shiraz, RRP: $80
- 2019 Seppelt St Peters Grampians Shiraz, RRP: $80
- 2019 Seppelt Mount Ida Heathcote Shiraz, RRP: RRP $55
- 2021 Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Henty Riesling, RRP: $40
- 2020 Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Henty Pinot Meunier, RRP: $36
- 2020 Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Henty Pinot Noir, RRP: $45 (750mL); $30 (375mL)
- 2015 Seppelt Salinger Henty Vintage Cuvée, RRP: $30
