I often find a depth and complexity from old vine fruit however as they say, wines made from old vines might not be better but their fruit must be good, otherwise they wouldn’t be old vines…
This thread got me thinking and I found some examples of the oldest vineyards in Australia (need to confirm dates):
Shiraz: Langmeil Freedom vineyard – 1843
Cabernet Sauvignon: Penfolds Kalimna Block 42 – 1888
Mourvedre/Mataro: Hewitson Old Garden Vineyard – 1853
Grenache: Cirillo Estate – 1848 – they also make a Rose from this fruit!
Riesling: Jacob’s Creek Block 2 Riesling - 1922(?)
Marsanne – Tahbilk - 1927
Chardonnay: Tyrrell’s HVD Vineyard – 1908
Many of the flagships of Australian wineries are now made exclusively from their oldest plots - this wasn’t always the case, and there has been talk on some of the Australian wine forums as to whether the separation out of this old vine fruit hadn’t lessened the quality of the standard label, and certainly it’s sometimes hard to justify the premium of the flagship price over the standard wine.
I had a similar experience years ago with a Godello from a small Spanish winery called Tres Lunas. The wine had remarkable depth and that extra gear of really, really good white wines, but retailed under $30. From vines over 105 years old at the time.
While I think vine age is a direct contributor to some of the most special, and impossible to reproduce, aspects in wines it’s routinely overlooked by a big portion of consumers.
It’s not a legal definition, just like Biodynamic has no legal definition…but Demeter will still come after you if you try to use it without paying them. In the same way, there are bodies that have laid out stipulations for the use of that term in South Africa. The OVP has never pursued legal action against anyone (and I’m not sure that they could), but there seems to be a lot of internal peer pressure to “tow the line” with regards to the use of that term.
In South Africa, the OVP actively urge winemakers to only use concrete or OLD oak, and to steer away from new oak, so that that “old vine quality” can shine through. They do not make these winemaking stipulations a requirement, but instead try to use soft power to coerce winemakers into a less invasive style of winemaking. Not everyone listens, but seemingly, the Old Vine Wines that rake in the biggest accolades are all made in that “minimal intervention” style.
You should tell that to guys like Reynecke Wines in Stellenbosch, who have been having exactly these sorts of conflict situations with Demeter. Whether they have legal precedent or not, Demeter certainly has a bigger legal team than most South African producers, and that is enough to achieve the desired control.
Actually I take it back. Demeter has a certification mark that’s broader. But I’d love to take a case against them. Biodynamic is a generic term regarding farming that predated Demeter by decades. That trademark should never have been allowed for what they use it for.
@Jono_Le_feuvre welcome to Wineberserkers. I look forward to more of your contributions, as I’d like to learn more about South African wines. Given that you’re ‘In the Business’, could you note such on your profile?