Quarry Hill

Winefront on the North Block Dry White

Quarry Hill — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:42:16 +0000

Mike Bennie writes:
“From terraced vineyards in some of the ‘higher’ country in Canberra District, Quarry Hill established their winemaking concern in 1999. Alex McKay makes some if not all the wines, so they are in good hands. This wine features a blend of savagnin and sauvignon blanc.

Attractive lemon/lime and white peach aromas – a fruity but gently sweet entry with some hints of florals. The palate is pretty, light and fairly neutral, but offers high refreshment factor and some interest from a prickly, crunchy phenolic bite to finish. The wine feels brittle and compact, and glass shard fragile, which makes it all the more attractive as a chilled drink. 89 Points.”

Sparkling Shiraz @ The Weekly Review

Quarry Hill — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:10:31 +0000

Tasting for Melbourne’s Weekly Review, Ben Thomas tried our 2006 Sparkling Shiraz recently and wrote: “…packed with perfumed aromas and rich flavours of blackcurrant, dark cherry, spice and violets. A silky texture and a fine, drying tannic grip are well balanced with refreshing acid. It finishes with blackberry and cherry notes along with a slightly bitter herb note that adds character and interest.” 4.5 out of 5 points.

Read the full article here:
http://www.theweeklyreview.com.au/article-display/Sparkling-shiraz/4308

Shanahan tries the North Block

Quarry Hill — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:55:13 +0000

Chris liked our new North Block Dry White:
“A wine region’s sophisticated when it makes both world-class flagship wines and beautifully made and presented affordable wines like Quarry Hill’s North Block. It’s a collaboration between Professor Dean Terrell, grape grower, and winemaker Alex McKay. An unoaked blend of sauvignon blanc and savagnin (thought to be albariño when planted), the wine is brilliantly clear and pale – and as crisp and fresh as a granny smith apple, complete with a subtly apple-like aftertaste. It’s bone-dry, softly textured and beautifully clean and fresh.”

Canberra Times Food and Wine Supplement 20 July 2011

The 2011 Vintage – at the Winery

Quarry Hill — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:17:56 +0000

Last Sunday we checked in to the winery to chat to our winemaker, Alex McKay, taste the new dry white blend he’s making and see how the other wines are travelling. The dry white is a blend of our Sauvignon Blanc and Savagnin grapes, and while a month away from finishing and bottling, it is presenting itself as a crisp, fresh wine with distinctive texture – Alex is very keen to get it onto the market.

For a season where we were battling extremely wet weather – struggling to prevent botrytis and mildew outbreak, combined with the late harvest in rapidly cooling temperatures, the results at the winery have been a great surprise – the Pinot Noir looks exceptional, possibly one of the best vintages, and the Shiraz, while only just starting its ferment is showing excellent flavour – all together an outstanding outcome.

The 2011 Vintage

Quarry Hill — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:57:47 +0000

Last Monday we picked 9.8 tonnes of Shiraz completing the harvest for 2011. We’d picked our Sauvignon Blanc, Savagnin, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo previously. The cool and wet year has meant careful management in the vineyard and painstaking selection of fruit at picking, but has produced fruit ripe at lower sugar levels with excellent acid.

Halliday rates the 2008 Shiraz

Quarry Hill — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:04:26 +0000

James Halliday has added the 2008 Shiraz to his Australian Wine Companion saying:
Bright, although light, colour; the bouquet is redolent with spice and pepper nuances to its plum fruit, and the characters flow through precisely on the long, medium-bodied palate; good balance and length. Rating 91.

Chris Shanahan on the 2008 Shiraz

Quarry Hill — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:46:09 +0000

Writing in the Canberra Times’ Food and Wine supplement, Chris describes the 2008 Shiraz as “vibrantly fruity, medium-bodied shiraz with … Continue reading →

Small Wineries @ Senso

Quarry Hill — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:38:29 +0000

We’re teaming up with 3 other wineries to show off 3 of our wines carefully paired with food prepared by Jan Gundlach – including the first showing of our Sparkling Shiraz. At $90 per person for 5 courses and 9 outstanding wines, we think it’s excellent value and should be a fascinating event for wine and food lovers.

Jan has posted his menu here, more details of the event are here.

2006 Pinot in The Weekly Review

Quarry Hill — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:55:43 +0000

Ben Thomas had another look at our 06 Pinot, giving it a 4 out of 5 and saying: “…This is a rich wine that smells and tastes like black cherries, strawberries and spice with a little earthiness…” you can read the full review here.

2008 Shiraz at Wine Will Eat Itself

Quarry Hill — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:07:37 +0000

After having a look at our Pinot, Jeremy Pringle reviewed our 2008 Shiraz saying: “Cedar, blackberry and mulberry with nuances of snapped twig and sap. Char and chocolate are there on the periphery. Quite creamy in the mouth, with a distinct savoury edge to the fruit profile.” read the whole review here.