Winemaking
Alberto felt that Sangiovese would work well in our vineyard due to the low vigour and high pH of the soil and to the average temperature during the growing season, which is identical to that in the heart of Chianti.
1 hectare was planted in 2005 with 4 main clones selected in Italy by Alberto Antonini (MAT 1,4,6,7) plus an additional six clones as an experiment (VCR 101, VCR 5, VCR 6, VCR 19, VCR 30 and MAT 3).
Two of these clones, planted on half a hectare, exceeded original expectations for this variety in Heathcote. The fruit from these clones was used for the Greenstone Sangiovese.
There is also have one row of mixed Brunello clones which have worked well, and are used in the Greenstone Sangiovese.
The fruit produced on the other half a hectare was not up to the same standard, so was sold off.
In 2010, the other half a hectare will be grafted to the 2 good clones, giving one hectare of top quality Sangiovese.
Vintage Conditions
In 2007, 2.3 tonnes of the Sangiovese were hand harvested in early March.
The grapes were transported in half tonne plastic bins to the Kooyong winery in Mornington, where they were crushed and destemmed and tipped into an open top fermenter.
Only natural yeasts are used to ferment the Sangiovese, so the must underwent a natural cold soak for about 5 days before fermentation started.
The cap was hand plunged in the open top fermenter , and the must remained on skins for about 3 weeks.
The wine completed malolactic in barrel.
Vineyard Notes
The site was purchased by viticulturalist Mark Walpole, Tuscan winemaker Alberto Antonini and Master of Wine David Gleave in 2003.
The Greenstone Vineyard comprises 20 hectares of Shiraz, Sangiovese, Colorino and Monastrell planted on the old red Cambrian soils in Colbinabbin.
Vineyard is planted to a density of 4,545 vines per hectare to reduce vigour and ensure a low crop per vine of intensely flavoured grapes.
Row orientation is east-west in order to protect the vines from the hot summer sun, and to prevent sun burn and preserve vibrant flavours in the grapes.
Vines are cane pruned to a single guyot of 10 buds, similar to that practiced in Tuscany.
Grass was planted between the rows in order to reduce vigour, add organic matter to the soil and improve the soil environment for vine root activity.
Rootstocks are 101-14, a low vigour variety.
Reviews
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2007 Greenstone Heathcote Sangiovese
Review by: Tim Atkin
, The Times
"One is the best Sangiovese I’ve tasted from outside Tuscany. Fresh and complex with notes of cherry stone, tea leaf and raspberry."
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Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
Score: 91 Points
Review by: Lisa Perotti Brown
, The Wine Advocate
The 2007 Sangiovese is a marvelous first effort and one of the better Sangioveses from Australia that I’ve tried. Deep garnet purple in color, it reveals black cherry, red plum and underbrush notes with nuances of Mediterranean herbs and stewed tea. Crisp with medium-firm fine tannins and good concentration managed with a medium body, the finish is long. Drinking well now, this wine should give pleasure through 2017+. Just 200 cases made.
Greenstone Vineyard is a new operation conceived of several wine masterminds: Mark Walpole, an Australian viticulturalist, David Gleave, an MW and importer / distributor in the UK and Alberto Antonini, an Italian winemaker. Wanting to do everything their way, ten hectares of Shiraz vines were planted in 2003 and one hectare of Shiraz in 2005 at high density (4500 vines per hectare) and at an east-west orientation, which they say offers some protection from the sun and results in “livelier” fruit. These early results are indeed promising.
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Greenstone Sangiovese 2007
Score: 96 Points
Review by: James Halliday
, James Halliday’s Top 100 wines of 2009. November 2009
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Greenstone Sangiovese 2007
Review by: Matt Skinner
, Uncorked, The Age, Sunday Life
"Certain to become one of Australia’s benchmark examples of sangiovese, this has plenty of brooding dark fruit coupled with trademark tobacco and spice. A similarly intense palate is nicely framed by dry and chalky sangiovese tannin and good acidity."
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Greenstone Sangiovese 2007
Review by: Jane Faulkner
, The Age
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Greenstone Sangiovese 2007
Review by: Max Allen
, The Weekend Australia Magazine
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Greenstone Vineyard Sangiovese
Review by: David Williams
, The Guardian UK
Greenstone Vineyard Sangiovese, Heathcote, Victoria, Australia 2007 'Wine of the Week' David Williams, The Observer 9 JanItalian grape varieties don't travel well, but this smart red from the Tuscan Sangiovese grape in central Victoria is an exception. That an Italian winemaker was behind it probably helps, but, whatever the reason, this is lovely stuff: radiant red cherry and redcurrant, wild herbs and succulent acidity. A credible substitute for Brunello di Montalcino or Chianti Classico.
