plog

Raspberries all round! If you've been cruising the web site lately, you'll notice that I've been as busy as a beaver getting everything updated and looking lovely. And doesn't it just! I'm really happy at the moment. Monday just past I bottled off 300 cases of a 2008 'Sticky Riesling' 150 to 200 of which will be finding their way over to Stone House Vintners in Texas within the next few months and the rest which I'll be releasing very soon. It is bloody yummy... three tongues from Dave! The other little super primo vino about to be released is the 'VP CRAZY' an amazing Shiraz Cab Liqueur which is in a 200ml bottle and unbelievable to drink. More on that when it is released. Anyway my next step is to do a mail out on the new wines I've released and just as soon as my 'mailer' has bee repaired, I'll do just that.

Well it's been a pretty interesting time in the last couple of months. The reason Frank "the beige wombat" (pin up boy for the Larrikin n.v.) is featuring in the photo is a tale of devilment and bad behavior. True to the Larrikin name, Frank in the company of his accomplice Stella, has been taking every opportunity to escape the back yard and make a bee line for the neighbor's property. Old Ron (Snow) Andritski isn't seeing the funny side as my very naughty dogs have supplemented their regular diet with the freshest free range chicken fillets, thighs, necks, feathers, feet etc etc. So far it has cost me 2 x 30 packs of VB Beer cans to smooth the waters, but as they say, you can take the Larrikin out of the chickens, but unfortunately for Snow, you can't take the chickens out of the Larrikin- ...Well I guess they do come out eventually, but I must say that they are definitely not the same. Sorry Snow, I promise that was the last time! I've resurrected the 'Hot Wire' around the yard to stop the escapees in their tracks so a word of warning must also be spread:- be careful if you visit and take a leak on the fence- trust me!

Other news... last Wednesday the 23rd was my 36th Birthday. Still a spring chicken I reckon... better stay out of Franks way I guess. I had a lovely day, Lunch with Nicki and Alex along with Jamie, Shannon and Vienne Gladigau at 1918 Restaurant in Tanunda. The food was superb. Christian, as always did an awesome job in the kitchen. After lunch I had a quiet evening with the rest of the family just kicking back. Why was it such a quiet one??? (I hear you ask)

The answer is well and truly in the liver. The previous Saturday courtesy of the Tanunda Cellars QLD Crew a group of 10 boutique winemakers (of which I was one) descended on the Sebel and Citigate's Ball Room in Brisbane to help raise funds for the Mater Medical Research Institute at a grand dinner. We kicked off with a couple of beers and a few gins in the early afternoon (to ensure the stories were well lubricated and interesting) before putting on the penguin suit and pouring a taste or two of our best drop(s). The response to the wines was really good and of course, just to be polite I knocked a few back with the punters then too. After the tasting, the party moved into the grand ball room where we all sat down to a delightful combination of our wines, great company and a more than decent meal! Suffice to say that a few more glasses helped keep the vocal gear turning over as well. The night fairly flew past and before I knew it there was a 20 foot conga line and good old rock 'n' roll belting out. I think it was around midnight we adjourned to the bar for a few quiet cleansers (and perhaps another gin or three) before the 'off to the casino' cry rallied us round. Not to gamble mind you but rather to keep up the boogie and the party in us all.

at around 4am I slipped gratefully into bed for a couple of hours before dragging myself to the airport for an 8.30 flight home. Between you and me, this is the upside of selling wine and supporting a bloody good cause.

Apart from this fun little interlude, the last two months have been absolutely flat out making sure I have the new release reds packaged and ready to go. We did an exclusive first release of the 2003 reds at the Hyatt Coolum on the Sunshine Coast three weeks ago and are finally ready to announce the wines to the rest of the world.

So to close out this entry, I spent today updating the web site and getting it ready for the mail out announcement of all the new wines. So I guess I should get back to it and do just that!

Well Who's been a naughty boy then... I know I know, the old website has been pretty bloody static for the last 3 months. In my defense I can only say I'VE BEEN BLOODY BUSY ALRIGHT! Actually I must admit this is a bit more than an excuse. I'm finally bouncing back from the Post Vintage Letdown. It's not just a mental nor just a physical thing but rather a bit like an sky scraper made of cardboard being left in the rain... The big slump sets in and it's bloody hard to fight it. The best medicine is to lay low and just keep swimming, just keep swimming. Anyway, when the slump is upon you sometimes you just don't feel like talking... or at least blogging. Luckily, like all the best syndromes eventually they bugger off and you can bounce back full of life and raring to go. Well I bloody am.

I must admit that last weekends Olive Picking had a lot do do with finishing the bounce back. Charlie, Neil Kate and myself spent Saturday dodging the glorious rain (2 inches all up). On Sunday we were joined by Roger and Kym (Picking Like Demons) and Monday Neil and Kate put in what would be best described as a guest appearance before leaving Charlie Andy Rebbecca and myself to clean up after pruning the olive tree next to Mum and Dads back to a stump... honest mum, it'll be better for it!

Anyway, We headed down to Maccalino's at Two Wells where the 650 kg's were milled and cold pressed into 75 delicious litres of Super Duper Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Bloody excellent.

Well as I mentioned the batteries are charged and I am raring to go. Look out in the next week or so, the web site is getting an Enema before being repacked with a whole stack of new goodies.

So bye for now, I need to get started!!!

Sunday mornings always have that slightly fuzzy edge. Maybe it's the bottle of Red from the night before or perhaps the unspoken knowledge that it is supposed to be a day of rest. Either way I really enjoy the relaxed feelings I have on a Sunday. The last of the Shiraz was pressed out overnight and as you can see the colour is delicious. I can't wait to see this year's wines cleaned up and through Malo. It all looks so good. This morning is the first day of the last batch of Cabernet. It came off the horse paddock and even though it got a little hammered by the heat wave a few weeks ago on the vine, it's come up roses (or I guess cabernet) anyway, I guess I better stop procrastinating and get back onto the shovel!

You know, I keep saying, "it's all good" but the best thing that it oh so IS!!!

The fatigue is starting to really set in now as Vintage 2008 slowly grinds to a close. Perhaps another 5 days of pressing to go and then we will be finished. It's been a long haul again this year, from first fruit in on the 2/2/08 to last fruit in... soon I hope. I've had a few really magical moments this year (actually there has been many) but a few weeks ago as I was pumping over the Larrikin blend on a beautifully warm late summer night the full moon rose to face me. The old 1948 Chev Tipper was full to the brim with a combination of this years Grenache Shiraz Cab and Mataro along with 3 barrels of the cuvee base from last years blend. My senses were awash with the beauty of the evening, the heady fumes of the wine and the gentle buzz that good friends food and wine always delivers. We had our close friends Rick and Jess Loan (and family) over for Easter Sunday dinner and Rick snapped this photo. I think that whenever I drink the 2008 bottling of the Larrikin this moment will evermore come to mind. Ahhh... life is wonderful, especially when it is fully lived. Cheers

Quick update... Vintage red all in as of last week! Yah Yah. Quality ranges from awesome to phenominal! I was bloody right at flowering I tells ya! The quality of the reds we have pulled off this year has left me absolutely stunned. The power and intensity across the board has been wonderful. I'm still out there finishing off (5 or so tonne of Rizza still to come for Sticky and Fortified) but the pressure is relenting and I have actually spent time with Nicki and the kids!

Onto other VERY IMPORTANT THINGS!!!

Well, what can I say! Sunday was a real treat. An old old mate, Oz -seen here hydrating himself responsibly before commencing strenuous exercise- his betrothed, Taryn and a couple of good mates of theirs Bec and Dan -Wielding the mighty plunger- arrived on my doorstep late Sunday morning determined to help out. Never being one to knock back free labour of any sort I of course jumped at the chance.

With the last of the reds in last week, I'm down to my one active red ferment. I like to plunge each ferment about 4 times a day during the active fermentation. The poor bastard of a fermenter you see Dan so vigorously mixing had roughly its entire number of plunges I'd expect to administer over its 3 week life delivered over roughly a two hour period! By the time everyone had a go it was so well mixed I really haven't had to plunge again... Only joking guys, you did a Stirling job.

Next Oz and Dan took turns to load the press. Not bad at all for a couple of city slickers! (I think they actually enjoyed swinging the shovel). Anyway , most of the grapes hit the press (some even on the inside) and we set it going. Around this time our ranks were further swelled by the arrival of more friends... who declined to help load the press, so are not allowed to be named! Once the basket was loaded and pressing happily away we kicked back for a few reds and a good yarn or two. I'm not sure about Oz and Taryn, but I reckon Dan and Bec have definitely been bitten by the bug. They left muttering excitedly about making a tonne or so for themselves and flogging it to their mates back in the UK. I certainly hope that they do!

Cheers for the help and the company guys, it made Sunday a funday. Oh and by the way... g'day to all of Dan and Bec's family and friends over there in the UK... I bet you poor bastards wish you were here!

Cheers, Dave

Those little buggers, you turn your back for one minute and next thing you know the kids are up to their neck in it... I know we're on severe water restrictions here in the Barossa but somehow I don't think Nicki's going to think they are actually cleaner after their bath. I reckon they smell better though! This was a lovely little parcel of Shiraz from the South Western corner of our Stonewell Hill block. Like everything this year the colours are bloody phenomenal! Save your penny's folks, I reckon its one of the best years for red I've ever seen! Yah Yah!

Well Vintage hit a swift and decisive blow over the last week. A burst of hot weather late last week really brought most of the Shiraz into the picking zone. The richness of the colours and the flavours in the fermenters is absolutely stunning. My early thoughts on 2008 being a great year seems to be proving correct. The nice thing is that not only do we have good quality but the quantities are really good too. I reckon 2008 could quite possibly surpass the awesome 2002 vintage for quality. I am really stoked. The only drawback is the lack of sleep because as usual everything needs to be picked at once! Oh well, back to the grindstone for me... hard work but bloody good fun!

Hoo Bloody Ripper Rita Ray!

Even though I picked Semillon last week (and delicious it's looking too) I really feel vintage starts when the first reds roll in. Well TODAY IS THAT DAY! I have two (modestly sized but hugely flavoured) tubs of Shiraz, hand picked by the team from Linke Vineyard Services. They did a sterling job and got the grapes of lickety split. Cheers and thanks!

By the time I got the tubs home they were already black and intense. I tell you. It's going to be a cracker. Although it's a (BLOODY) early vintage the phenolics are already developed, the acids look great and the fruit is ripe ripe ripe for the picking. The next three months...start now and I love it!!

Well I'm stuffed and as you can tell a little loco, so off to bed with me!

Till next time Punch the ZZZZ's

Dave

Vintage is just around the corner. 99% of the Shiraz is Black, 70% of the Cabernet has changed colour and the Semillon is almost ready to pick. Although the theme this summer has been, is and seems likely to continue as HOT, the vines are doing really well. There's boggins of flavour in the grapes and the skins are thickening up well. We've had to give the vines a couple of drinks, but all in all the mulch has proved its mettle and kept the vines very well protected. Not long and it will be all systems go for harvest.

My preparations for vintage are almost complete. There's a few loose ends to tie up -like bottling the 2005 reds, but I am right on schedule. My quest for diverse and subtle complexities in the wines is not only leading me all over the vineyard but also through a diverse range of Barrels from a range of different Coopers. The results so far are awesome, but the best I am sure is yet to come!!!

Fingers crossed for a perfect finish to the season: lots of cool nights and a drop or two of rain.

Well, here I am, Sunday Afternoon, a little 'hunged' over after celebrating the nuptials of one of my Best Mates; Paul Lindner -Supreme Winemaker at Langmeil Wines- to his Soul Mate Natalie Stephenson Police Prosecutor all around nice girl.

Standing at his shoulder was a great honor... but the party after really took the cake. I'm a big fan of Weddings! I reckon they are generally the best party ever. Optimism Love and lust for life seems to pervade the whole day and it's always a big shindig. Last night certainly was no exception. More wine than you could poke a stick at (Langmeil of course) that all pretty much drank supremely well. Lashings of Icy Cold Coopers Pale, plenty of Brandy and Scotch for the Brides Family and a meal to die for.

From the skilled and delicate hands of Owen Andrews flowed a feast of platters and dishes that knocked everyones socks off. Bloody Awesome Owen -well done. If you are looking for a caterer in the Barossa or surrounds, he's your man!

Well I'm supposed to get to the recovery at some stage today so I better chuff off. Try and kill the hangover with a few glasses of red I guess. Oh, life is tough... Tee Hee

Cheers for the New Year! As the 2008 vintage rapidly barrels towards us, it looks to be another early one again. Yields at this stage definitely look better than last year, and the fruit is is good nick as well. The vines have copped a hammering from the really hot conditions but thanks in part to the copious amounts of Horse Poo we spread under the vines and careful pruning, the little buggers are holding up their end magnificently.

I'm holding pretty high expectations for the coming harvest. Bud Burst and Set was picture perfect and although perhaps a little hot since then, the odd timely sprinkle has kept everything going pretty well. I still think we are in for a cracker. I guess we'll have a much better idea in about six weeks time!

Well fingers crossed, although I'm sure we won't need it.