Somerset Hill Wines reflect the
total dedication of our vignerons and winemakers,producing wines
with true varietal intensity and flavours.
This is only possible because of our special relationship between
soil,climate and geographical location.
Our vines have a short cool summer in which to accumulate
flavours and ripen on the highest vineyard in the Denmark
wine-growing region.Constant wind,summer rain and cloud make
viticulture a veritable challenge.Our North facing slopes and
free draining soils provide us with the chance to produce wine as
unique as our location.
Chardonnay ready for
harvest
Unfortunately, chardonnay vines are
shy-bearing and susceptible to a myriad of maladies. Chardonnay
berries are relatively small, thin-skinned, fragile, and oxidize
easily. This makes chardonnay somewhat more sensitive to
winemaking techniques and more difficult to handle from harvest
to bottling than most other grape types. These factors, combined
with increasing popular demand over the past decades, contribute
to making chardonnay-based wines one of the most expensive on the
shelf or wine list.
Merlot ripened in our cool
climate allows for perfect ripening,producing subtle and complex
wines.
Merlot is moderately vigorous in vine
growth, but must sometimes be reined in from setting too large of
a crop by judicious pruning, often followed weeks later by
bunch thinning.
Merlot on fertile soil may produce eight
tons per acre, but best fruit quality is gained if the crop is
kept at four tons per acre or less.
Paradoxically, merlot is one of the
varieties most prone to coulure, a condition that causes the
immature berries to fall off soon after flowering. Careful
selection of sites can avoid this problem, as coulure is more
serious in colder climates.
Semillon on the
vine.
Consistently productive at six to eight
tons per acre and of vigorous vines, Semillon is easy to
cultivate.
It is fairly resistant to common vine
diseases, with the notable exception of rot, which most often is
hoped to be the noble type and not the destructive strain. This
viticultural profile has led to widespread propagation and
popularity of Semillon vineyards.
The ripe Semillon berry is a rich yellow
color at maturity, although increasing sun exposure may turn it
amber-pink. In warmer climates, there is always danger of sunburn
and raisining.
If processed as a dry or semi-dry table
wine, the thin skins and tender, juicy pulp require speedy but
gentle handling.
Sauvignon
Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc vines tend to be quite
vigorous growers, so it is especially important to manage the
canopy by careful pruning and even by thinning leaves and shoots
to direct the plants energy towards ripening the fruit.
Unrestrained growth and over-cropping result in neutral-tasting
wines of little interest.
Barrel-fermentation, although not
commonly used for this variety when compared to Chardonnay, can
also modify the Sauvignon Blanc aroma and add
complexities.
Blending Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon is
a common practice that can add richness and an extra element of
figs to the aroma, softening the sometimes abrasive Sauvignon
Blanc character.
Pinot
Noir.
Great Pinot Noir creates a lasting
impression on the palate and in the memory. Its aroma can be
intense with a ripe-grape, vaguely pepperminty or black cherry
aroma. Ripe tomato, mushroom, and barnyard are also common
descriptors for identifying Pinot Noir. It is full-bodied and
rich but not heavy, high in alcohol, yet neither acidic nor
tannic, with substantial flavour despite its delicacy. The most
appealing quality of Pinot Noir may be its soft, velvety texture.
When right, it is like liquid silk, gently caressing the
palate.
Pinot does not have the longevity in the
bottle of the darker red wines and tends to reach its peak at
five to eight years past the vintage.
The 2000 Pinot Noir, 2001 Unwooded Chardonnay and our 1999 Constellation Methode Champenoise Pinot Noir.
