“A candidate for Australia’s best tempranillo.”
Huon Hooke, www.huonhooke.com
“Mayford has morphed into one of the leading lights when it comes to Australian tempranillo…”
Jane Faulkner, Wine Matters
“Probably the top wine of the 2018 Winewise Small Vignerons Awards”.
Lester Jesberg, Chairman Winewise SVA
$38.00
Released October 2018
The 2017 vintage was one from the heavens across north east Victoria.
Good winter and spring rainfall restored river flows and replenished underground water systems, leading into a cool and dry summer without massive temperature extremes. The warm days and cold nights throughout the ripening season, provided perfect conditions for ripening Tempranillo- allowing aromas to intensify and tannins to mature whilst still retaining natural acidity.
Multiple small parcels were hand-picked over the middle two weeks of March- almost a month later than the 2016 vintage. Each separate batch was chilled and cold soaked prior to natural ferment in open pots with extensive hand plunging. Some batches had a percentage of stalk and whole bunch inclusion and others, extended post ferment-maceration. Each wine was then basket pressed before being put to barrel for maturation in French barriques (25% new) for eleven months, retaining malo lees for texture and complexity.
The 2017 Tempranillo is up there with the best we have made at Mayford. Perfume leaps out of the glass, sarsaparilla, black cherry, charcuterie, raspberry and spice. The mid palate is lively with crunchy bright fruits, yet fleshy and sophisticated with deliciously long tannins, finishing both fresh and savoury. Drink 2019-2030.
Bottled under screwcap.
Mayford 2017 Chardonnay
While Mayford’s tempranillo usually takes centre stage, its chardonnay has well and truly found its groove.”
Jane Faulkner, Wine Matters
$38.00
Released October 2018
The 2017 vintage was hailed across the north east of Victoria as the “vintage of the decade”.
Good winter and spring rainfall restored river flows and replenished underground water systems, leading into a cool and dry summer without massive temperature extremes. The mild conditions continued into autumn, enabling grapes to ripen slowly and fully but without accumulating unduly high sugar levels.
Across the board, harvest at Mayford was three weeks later than a “normal” year, producing beautifully pure-fruited, finely structured and super elegant wines.
Chardonnay was hand-picked in multiple small parcels over the first two weeks of March. Each batch was processed and matured separately. After chilling overnight, the fruit was whole bunch pressed and filled sequentially to barrel so that no two barrels were alike. Fermented with naturally occurring yeasts in French oak barriques (25% new). Partial malolactic fermentation was encouraged to build more generous and complex structure, and lees stirring for freshness and a creamy, curd texture. Total barrel maturation time was eleven months.
The 2017 Chardonnay is restrained yet rippling with luscious fruit (grapefruit, citrus and nectarine), mealy oatmeal character, a complexing hint of smoky oak and taut acidity. A wine that will age spectacularly. Drink 2019-2030.
Bottled under screwcap.
Mayford 2016 Shiraz
“Mayford is one of the best producers of cool climate Shiraz in Australia: up with the likes of Giaconda and Clonakilla for their Porepunkah Shiraz.”.
Anthony D’Anna, Boccacio Cellars Newsletter
$40.00
Released October 2018
A major hail event in late November together with warm, dry conditions over the ripening season in 2016 resulted in very small volumes of delicious Shiraz.
Selectively hand-picked in small parcels over the first weeks of March in 2016. Some whole bunch influence has brought floral and spice characters to the brooding dark berry fruit. New clonal plantings contribute complexity, perfume and fragrance- the original 23 year old shiraz block bringing maturity, depth and power. Time on lees and extended post-fermentation maceration yielded earthy notes and a firm tannic core.
A limited release of the 2016 Shiraz from the vines that survived the hail storm. Perfumed, savoury and plush- and in excruciatingly small volumes. Get in quickly to ensure that your Mayford Shiraz collection is complete. Drink 2018-2026.
Bottled under screwcap.
Mayford 2016 “Grapes of Wrath” Shiraz
“The word impeccable almost always springs to mind when tasting/drinking a Mayford wine and it does again here.”.
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
“It ripples with flavour and texture patterns”
James Halliday Wine Magazine, June/July 2018
$32.00
Released May 2018
In the lead up to the 2016 vintage a narrow wall of hail crossed over Mt Buffalo to our west and made a beeline for the Mayford vineyard. We lost about half our crop.
The destructive power of nature at that moment contrasted starkly to the kindness and generosity extended to us after our loss. Our friends, restaurateur Peter Bartholomew and Donna Pelka, offered a gift of some Heathcote Shiraz from their Wanted Man vineyard. Another friend, Bob McNamara, offered Shiraz from his 30 year-old vineyard in Whorouly at the warmer northern end of the Alpine Valleys and we topped this up with a mixed clonal parcel from Indigo Vineyard Beechworth.
All fruit was hand-picked and cold soaked prior to fermentation with ambient yeasts. Each regional and clonal parcel was fermented and matured separately then blended in early spring and returned to barrel. Barrel maturation was in French barrique with 15% new oak from a range of French cooperages for eleven months.
This svelte and supple blend of Shiraz from some of Victoria’s finest cool climate regions reflects the altruism that exists in our winegrowing community Drink 2019-2029.
Bottled under screwcap.
Mayford 2015 Ovens Crossing
“Wine of the Week AU – Huon Hook
Only 70 dozen were made, but it is a cracking wine, the top wine from Mayford winemaker Eleana Anderson. Smoky, earthy savoury aromas, blackberry and cassis and a faint herbal note, the palate compact, dense and endowed with ample fine tannins. A super wine with a big future.”
Huon Hook June 2018
“It’s a beautifully balanced, flavoured and structured wine. Red/black berries, spice, mint, anise and earth. A slip of raw cedarwood. It just works. No hesitation. Curl of tannin is a ripping final flourish. I tasted this over the course of 24 hours and it hardly budged, and impressed throughout. It’s right up there with the best produced from this estate. Succulence, intensity, tautness and complexity combined. ”
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
$55.00 (SOLD OUT)
Released May 2018
The first ever Mayford “Ovens Crossing” Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon was inspired by the exceptional ripening conditions of 2015. A cool and mild autumn allowed slow and complete ripening of perfectly formed, small-berried Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, all estate grown.
The Tempranillo was hand-picked over late February and into early March, the cooler temperatures meaning that the fruit benefitted from hanging on the vine two to three weeks longer than usual. Low cropping Cabernet was picked in mid-March, just a week after the last of the Tempranillo.
Small parcels were cold-soaked prior to natural fermentation as separate batches in open pots with regular hand plunging. Barrel maturation (50% new) was in French barriques for twenty-two months, with some retained lees for texture and complexity.
Just seventy dozen have been made. Sporting universally glowing reviews, this wine can be purchased with great confidence and is an excellent cellaring proposition.
Bottled under screw cap
Bottled under screwcap.