Flock JournalMo n day, Se p t e M b e r 29t h, 2014

t h e b l a c k S h e e p c l u b n e w S J o u r n a l

THE nEXT cHaPTEr HaS BEGun..The debut vintage of ‘Pure Black’ is now released. The 2010 Shiraz is the culmination of nearly two centuries’ experience and carries the story of the Hamilton family into the next generation. Read more inside!

WInTEr PrunInGDuring winter, the Hugh Hamilton staff ventured out into the vineyards to learn about pruning. Check out Kimi from Cellar Door giving it a go!

Black SHEEP lET looSE Hugh, Pam and Mary ventured interstate for our annual Black Sheep Let Loose lunches and ‘from wine, what sudden friendship springs!’

cHrISTmaS? alrEady? Be prepared for gift giving and put the 26th November in the diary. Join Hugh and the team for a festive drink at the Black Sheep Christmas Sale.

TWo BoTTlES a monTH noT quITE EnouGH?? If you’re finding your Black Sheep wines don’t quite make it through to the next allocation why not sign up for three or four allocations?

your GIFT - look InSIdE Don’t forget to check your case for your Black Sheep gift. Rehydrate the right way with this handy collapsible water bottle!

nEW THInGS on HuGH’S PaTcH! Handcrafted condiments and dressing are being created.. and the new ‘Ménage à Trois’ is being bottled!

THE Black SHEEP IS noW on InSTaGram Keep up to date with what happens in the world of the Black Sheep. Follow @hughhamiltonwines

SPrInG HaS SPrunG The first buds have developed as the vines have awakened from winter dormancy.

The first buds have developed on the Church Vineyard.

Introducing Pure Black. The debut vintage of our most

illustrious wine.

What is the very darkest colour? Black of course!

Appropriate then for the debut of the ultimate wine in the ‘Black Sheep’ flock to be called ‘Pure Black’. Years ago we conjured up what this magnificent wine would be… a rich, generous Shiraz… the best of McLaren Vale…contemporary, yet worthy of the 177 year family legacy in the Australian wine world.

When the Hamiltons arrived in the new colony of South Australia they had vine cuttings sent which were dipped in wax to preserve them. Our new wine ‘Pure Black’ pays homage to our fearless forebears and those wax dipped vines – check out this stunning wine and its wax dipped bottle at www.hughhamiltonwines.com.au/pure-black.html We made only 1,342 bottles of the 2010 debut vintage!

Hugh, Pam and I have been on the road catching up with you at Black Sheep Club dinners and lunches. We love seeing you and I am in awe of how our events seem to be catalysts for great conversations and a surprising number of new friendships – there is nothing like putting a pack of Ratbags and Rascals into one room! Go to our Facebook page to see some highlights.

If James Halliday is the professor of Australian Wine Writers, then the release of the 2015 Wine Companion sees our exam results in! Eleven of our wines are rated 90+ points; our single vineyard series ‘Black Blood’ topped the class… but there’s more! For the full list of ratings go to www.hughhamiltonwines.com.au/news

If you like the idea of immersing yourself in a hands-on experience in early November you could be having a date with a very special off the grid barrel of wine we’ve put our foot on for you to micro bottle, that will have your name on it – literally! To find out more head to our Clobber, Fodder & Events page on our website.

Dad and I at the Pure Black Launch in June

*Please note wines received will vary dependent on allocation preference.

‘The Loose Cannon’ Viognier 2013Viognier is a subtle grape but the relatively high tannin levels in its skins can produce unusual wines if not dealt with carefully. So yes, it can be quite the loose cannon. The textbooks tell us to look for stone fruits but this vintage leans more to the citrus spectrum with mandarin and lemon to the fore. The use of our aged French oak barrels for 50% of the wine adds hints of toast and cashew for added depth, and there’s some creaminess from lees stirring.

Let Viognier’s heady fragrance work with a fragrant Moroccan tagine.

‘The Trickster’ Pinot Grigio 2014‘The Trickster’ is a blend from two vineyards, one giving fruit with structure and the other, fruit that is richer, and delicately fragrant. In ‘The Trickster’ you will see passionfruit, green melon, citrus and the scent of grapevines when they are flowering. The perfect match for our love affair with oysters or enjoy with spicy tempura prawns or Kung Pao chicken. Its fine structure and even but crisp, dry

finish makes ‘The Trickster’ very versatile.

‘The Scallywag’ Chardonnay 2014Each year we go to the same patch of vines that produce modest crops of well-ripened fruit. We take the fruit and nurture it to bottle without too much of a thumb-print. The core is fresh, cool flavours: citrus, honeydew, and pears. This wine shows the best of its source (the Hills: fresh, crisp, dry structure); variety (Chardonnay: a mouthful of flavour) and winemaking decisions (small proportion in barrels on lees: creamy length). That’s what we call complexity: nothing dominating. Food - can you beat good soft-shell crab?

‘The Floozie’ Sangiovese Rosé 2013Our walking, tasting and observing the best of each season led us to make ‘The Floozie’ from Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and in 2013 Sangiovese! So we have toured from Spain to France and to Italy – all homes of the fresh, crisp dry rosé: the style we prefer. This is Hugh’s ‘go to’ wine! Fresh red berries, crunchy red cherries and apples; a hint of musk. We all know Summer sets the scene for rosé, so when the rosé comes out for lunch, it matches perfectly an antipasti with mild bresaola, rocket, fresh fig and buffalo mozzarella.

The FlockHugh shares his tasting notes on the ‘flock’ in the Summer allocation and Pam gives you a little taste of what food will match perfectly! We love to see what the ‘flock’ gets up to, feel free to send any snaps through to ebony@hughhamiltonwines.com.au. Check out our Facebook page for some great shots and you’ll now find us on Instagram - follow @hughhamiltonwines.

‘The Mongrel’ Sangiovese Blend 2013Sangiovese, think savoury, meaning it’s great with food; it has a cherry flavour which is a contrast to most other grapes we grow. Its natural acidity means it always has an interesting and lively palate. However, if you really want to make this wine ‘sing’ it needs a little touching up with something else. In this vintage a little dash of Shiraz did the trick. This is why we call it The Mongrel. The Shiraz added a hint of spice, filled out the palate and softened the tannins. Enjoy with dishes of a Mediterranean influence.

‘The Scoundrel’ Tempranillo 2013Our 2013 Tempranillo is just the way we like it: intensely varietal. An aromatic grape, it shows vibrant cherry, lifted violets and raspberry liquorice (Never tried it? Get to a lolly shop, pronto). Textured with fine tannins and gentle hints of mint, and dried herbs accompany the generosity which is the hallmark of our region. Spanish heritage seeks Spanish flavours. Grab some jamon or Cocido Montañés (bean stew with bacon, pork ribs,

black pudding and chorizo) and go for it!

‘The Rascal’ Shiraz 2012 - 90 points James Halliday

‘Shiraz and McLaren Vale’. What a famous pairing. The Royal Family and Corgis. Bogart and Bacall. The connection? Pedigree and history: Shiraz has shown its suitability for so long to the region’s maritime but warm climate, and old yet well-preserved soils, that it’s hard to imagine one without the other! Raspberry, liquorice, ink and olive. ‘The Rascal’s’ perfect partner is classic roast beef. More exotic perhaps? Try pheasant and shiitake mushroom glaze.

‘The Villain’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - 93 points James Halliday

Good Cabernet is savoury and good McLaren Vale reds have some impression of sweetness. It’s important therefore that ‘The Villain’ shows a bit of both. The sweetness of regional fruit, wrapped around a frame of drying, varietal tannin with the signature mint and dried herbs. It shows the density and richness that a serious, long living red needs if it’s going to hold its head high, whether at a wine show or on your table. Perfect with

braised lamb shanks, or simply a good firm Cheddar.

‘The Ratbag’ Merlot 2012McLaren Vale is red wine heaven, with an ideal climate for bigger-bodied reds, but, with careful site selection the region can grow pretty much anything. Merlot’s inherent unpredictability is sufficient reason for calling it ‘The Ratbag’. When it is genuinely ripe, varietal (think plums, spice & rosemary), and with structure, it’s fantastic. The ancestral home for Merlot is Bordeaux in France, choose a roast duck with prune and scented orange stuffing.

‘Black Ops’ Shiraz Saperavi 2010 - 93 points James Halliday

The ‘Black Ops’ is smooth, the palate is not ‘big’ in the sense of some Shiraz; and it opens quite gently. In the mid-palate the influence of the Saperavi is seen as it punches above its weight - look for the Indian spices underlying the liquorice and pepper of the Shiraz. And an ever-so-subtle hint of chocolatey oak. Well-balanced and ready to go now, but give it 2-3 years and it will certainly gain complexity. Take the path less travelled: kangaroo with dukkah crust or redcurrant glaze.

‘Black Blood I’ Cellar Vineyard Shiraz 2012 - 94 points James Halliday

We now have the honour of having had this wine selected as part of the regional Scarce Earth program for four consecutive years. In this young wine we see the powerful fragrance and flavour of the site, the terroir: liquorice, fruit-cake, blackberries, and dark chocolate. It is fair to call it robust - even slightly rustic - but that does not mean it lacks harmony or balance - just that it has a distinctive structure, which we see year in, year out. Enjoy a glass as you slowcook beef

cheeks. Pour another glass and serve with mascarpone creamed potato.

‘Jekyll & Hyde’ Shiraz Viognier 2012 - 94 points James Halliday

Varietal Viognier is delicately fragrant: apricots, white flowers and gingery notes. Here its tannins offer a note of gritty complexity that make this blend genuinely fascinating. The Shiraz; dark, brooding, tarry. Jekyll is ‘plush’. Not necessarily soft; the tannins from both varieties meld together and underpin the spicy, rich fruit, leading to great length and balance. A classic dish of the Rhone region is Chevreau a l’Ail et Herbes Sauvages. English perhaps? - baby goat with garlic and wild herbs.

‘The Oddball’ Saperavi 2012 - 95 points James Halliday ‘Saperavi’ translates into English as ‘ink’. We handpick this fruit and the pickers’ hands are black from the huge colour in both the skin and the flesh. An exotic mixture – raspberry and satsuma plums, and spices of India & North Africa with a touch of meaty complexity and leaf tobacco. But what do you feel? ‘Suede’? ‘Chalk’? It’s what we call ‘fine-grained’: dry but not bitter; astringent but harmonious. This wine will age gracefully. You need protein to work

with a wine like this; a medium rare eye fillet with a red wine reduction.

Two Bottles a Month Not Quite Enough?If you’re finding your Black Sheep wines don’t quite make it through to the next allocation why not sign up to receive the allocations seasonally? Not only will your cellar look healthier, you will receive something out of the ordinary exclusive to members who receive these packs. Sound good? Email Allison@hughhamiltonwines.com.au or call us on (08) 8323 8689 to receive wine delivered to your door in Summer, Autumn, Winter & Spring.

Black Sheep Let Loose

During the winter months when all is still in the vineyard, Hugh, Pam and Mary venture out on the road for the annual Black Sheep Let Loose events. The quote from John Gay ‘From wine, what sudden friendship springs’ sums up what these events are all about.These events give our members a chance to meet other members of the flock and share their experiences of the world of the black sheep. For Hugh, Pam and Mary it’s been great fun catching up with members, many of whom have become good friends, and also meeting other great people for the first time. Across the states we thought the venues, the food, the company, and of course, the wine, all came together to make a very memorable experience. We should do it more often!Here’s a few comments from our members who attended

Thank you so much for a delightful afternoon. My son really enjoyed it too. He is trying to learn more about wines and said he did learn a lot listening to you. What it’s all about really, isn’t it? Education in the best possible way. Heather & Alan BoydIt was such a great day.. Lis and I had a ball from the opening bubbly to the closing fortified. (I don’t think I needed the latter!) It would be easy to become a HH Groupie and attend all the lunches around Australia! Peter & Lisa BeadleIt was such a fabulous afternoon - friendly people, great food, and of course, amazing wine. I’m afraid we Spencers, being first in and last to leave, definitely outstayed our welcome - at the very least, made an impression. Thanks again to you all for your hospitality. Wendy & Peter Spencer. We all loved the afternoon we spent at The Point!! David & Lesley Carlin

‘ F r o m w i n e , w h a t s u d d e n f r i e n d s h i p s p r i n g s ’

There’s exciting things happening here on Hugh’s Patch; we’re launching a new range of Fodder! Our mouths have been watering during the tasting of many handcrafted condiments and dressings searching for the perfect products for this range.

The Next Chapter has Begun

Back Soon! New Fodder

P U R E B L A C K

The next installment of ‘Ménage à Trois’ is being bottled and it’s a fascinating new blend. The cheeky three varieties that make up this members’ exclusive wine includes one variety that our winery has never seen! Hint: an indigenous grape variety of Sicily. Stay tuned for the release in the next few months.

The genesis of ‘Pure Black’ was many years ago. We defined a vision of a wine that would represent an apex of all of our family history and winemaking in South Australia.Hugh is fifth generation and Mary sixth of the family who first planted grape vines in 1837 and made wine in South Australia. ‘Pure Black’ Shiraz is a culmination of nearly two centuries’ experience and carries the story of the Hamilton family into the next generation, with Mary, Hugh’s daughter, officially taking the reins.

The debut 2010 ‘Pure Black’ Shiraz was revealed at a black tie dinner at The State Library of South Australia, a venue itself steeped in history. A ‘black’ degustation menu was tailored by Mary and Pam in the ‘Pure Black’ theme. The coup de grâce was waiters with white gloves lifting the veils off the spectacular individual black boxes to reveal the

magnificent wax dipped bottles with black nickel medallions.Be inspired and see the video www.hughhamiltonwines.com.au/pure-black.html

During the winter, Ben Pridham, our viticulturist, gave the staff a lesson in pruning. It’s hard work but Kimi from the Cellar Door had a go! See Ben in action and watch the videos - www.vimeo.com/hughhamiltonwines

Old and New.In wine, nothing great comes without an investment of time and patience. Just as vineyards take time to mature, so too the recognition of success is cumulative. The Hamilton name has become so synonymous with quality and Australian wine history that it could be tempting to rest on one’s laurels, but that’s not the case here. The Hamilton family understands that wine is a natural product; and vineyards, like all living things age, blossom and decline. New varieties come into fashion and often pass out of favour equally quickly. New selections of stalwart varieties come on stream and offer the possibility of ever-greater wine quality. Foresight, planning and regeneration are constant. This season the maintenance, preservation and renewal of the Hugh Hamilton vineyards continues. Cabernet, Shiraz, Mataro and Saperavi cuttings that were planted last year will be trained onto a new trellis in readiness for their first small crop next season.

They will be joined this Spring by a fresh planting of Grenache vines on the Church Vineyard. Many of the older vineyard parcels have been carefully re-trained to extend their

useful life and liberate their full wine quality potential.This investment in the future may span a human lifetime before reaching its full potential, but I guess when you’ve been growing grapes and making wine for six generations, investing in the future comes naturally.

Toby Bekkers, Consulting Viticulturist

Greener Pastures

Corporate Gifts

Winter Pruning

Christmas, Already?It’s almost that time of year again.. Be prepared for gift giving and enjoy a festive drink with Hugh and the team at the annual Black Sheep Christmas Sale, Wednesday 26th November 2014. A chance to stock your cellar for the festive season before the mad month of December begins! If you can’t make it, you won’t miss out as the sale will continue online until Sunday 7th December.

Looking for gifts for work colleagues, staff, customers or suppliers? Spread the Black Sheep joy this festive season with one of our corporate offers. Whether it’s as simple as a gift wrapped bottle of your favourite flock member, or a fully laden hamper to seal the deal, we have just the thing! Email ebony@hughhamiltonwines.com.au by 7th November for more details on offers and pricing.