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There
is something magical about Mudgee. Driving throught
the quaint town hardly prepares for the beautiful
countryside beyond.
And the riches
that these soils bear. Mudgee vineyards have
a reputation for growing the best reds in the country. And
it is well deserved.
In 1996, Abercorn was a rundown vineyard that
had one important ingredient –
it was OLD. In the interim years, much effort,
blood, sweat and tears have gone into the improvement
of the farm and its precious crops.
But Abercorn still contains only old vines.
The clone of Chardonnay in particular is historic and can be traced back to the 1832 importation of cuttings into nearby Sydney by industry pioneer James Busby.
The Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon vines too are old, producing highly concentrated flavours.
Soils are well-drained
and yields are kept low. Previously, much of
the vineyard’s fruit was sold to other winemakers
however all fruit is now sold under the Abercorn
label and production is limited to 5000 cases
each vintage.
The climate is medium-cool, providing fuller flavours than other colder, emerging wine regions in Australia.
Having rehearsed their craft for many decades, the gnarled Abercorn vines produce small batches of fruit that winemakers would kill for. |