2006 a vintage of riches in the Clare Valley

21 April, 2006

The secret is out - the 2006 Clare Valley vintage is one of the best in years.

So believes Simon Osicka, Senior Winemaker at the Clare Valley's historic Leasingham Winery, who says the word around Clare is that Shiraz from this vintage is the best since 1998.

Near-perfect seasonal conditions in the lead-up to Leasingham's 2006 vintage have produced rich, ripe and concentrated flavours in Riesling and Shiraz, two of the region's leading grape varieties.

"The critical thing about this vintage is that it was a relatively mild to warm season from spring through to harvest, and we were able to ripen all varieties to near-perfection," said Mr Osicka, who has just completed his first vintage at Leasingham.

"It was a particularly good year for Shiraz, which is incredibly fragrant, has fabulous concentration, very sweet fruit and lots of plum and mulberry characters. The other hallmark of Shiraz is that it is very powerful with a rich textural element. It has serious attitude," he said.

"Riesling has a richer style this year to previous vintages, with lots of concentrated regional citrus characters that will make fantastic wines. Cabernet Sauvignon was another pleasing variety, showing varietal cassis and red berry characters, and finesse."

Mr Osicka said grape picking started on schedule, however most red fruit, especially the premium parcels, were harvested one week earlier than previous vintages.

"In terms of overall quality at all grades, the 2006 vintage has been a very rewarding one. The quality from all sub-regions of the district has been consistently good," he said.

"Our viticultural team did a superb job finessing our vines, especially in the older Schobers and Provis vineyards. The attention to detail focused on canopies leading up to vintage, which coupled with the good season, should result in some great wines in the glass."

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