The 2007 vintage has begun to make its way on to the retail shelves.
Watershed Premium Wines has released its 2007 sauvignon blanc semillon, which will be welcomed by many retailers who sold out of the Margaret River winery’s 2006 blend.
The wine is the first produced by Watershed winemaker Severine Logan, who took on the job in January after leaving her winemaking role at Rosemount Estate in NSW.
Also recently hitting the shelves are sauvignon blanc blends from Capel Vale and Chalice Bridge, while 3 Drops is expected to release its whites in a few weeks.
La Vigna proprietor Michael Tamburri says the 2007 vintage is likely to be another strong performer, but is likely to come with increased prices.
“The 2006 WA vintage was the best whites I have seen in my 35 years in the business,” he says. “I’m not in a hurry to get rid of the 2006 but it looks like 2007 is a good follow up.”
Mr Tamburri is early anticipating the release of 2007 reds after participating in a recent tasting where he tasted some of the best merlot he has drunk “in a long time”.
Mr Tamburri says that there are signs that consumers are likely to pay $1 to $2 per bottle more for the 2007 vintage.
“The excess wine is gone,” Mr Tamburri says.
“It used to be that wineries really over-delivered on the price because there was so much fruit around, but now you are not going to get old vine shiraz going into a sub $15 bottle.”
