The Auswine Forum

Been looking at old vines cuvees this week and have found a few that I want to try - Semillon, Grenache and Mourvedre. These are made from really old vines - 150 years or so.

I have some of Tyrells HDV Chardonnay, made from the oldest Chardonnay Vineyard (I´m not sure if the vines themselves are that old)

Cant see much in the way of old vine Pinot and Riesling though. Does anyone know if there are any really old vineyards out there with these. Halliday seems to suggest that they both succumbed to Phylloxera and so the oldest may only date back to the 70´s. I´m sure Bests have some old examples of these, but they dont bottle a wine made from them - their Old Clone Pinot for instance only dates back to 1987.

Old vines dont always make great wine, but some of the most singular wines I have drunk have been from pre-phylox vineyards, and I´d like to make sure I have tried as many of the local versions as possible (with the exception of the super expensive Shiraz versions that are too much for me now)

Cant see much in the way of old vine Pinot and Riesling though. Does anyone know if there are any really old vineyards out there with these.

Mount Pleasant (McWilliam's) in the Hunter Valley has Pinot Noir that dates back to 1921, planted by Maurice O'shea. This block was the source of the famous MV6 clone of Pinot that is widely planted around Australia.

I also believe Pokolbin Estate in the Hunter Valley has Riesling vines that date back to the 1950's. But I could be wrong on that one.

Cheers, Pok

Best’s do bottle one - but not Pinot Noir - their Old Vine Pinot Meunier is made from vines planted 1868, only top vintages apparently. I’ve never tried.

I don't know, but you'd think that given the Barossa's Germanic roots, that there might be some older pockets of Riesling there. You don't hear it talked about as much with grapes like Riesling

Rockford Vine Vale Riesling!

Jenke in the Barossa used to make a Mourvedre that was made from a vineyard planted in the late 1890s if I recall correctly.

That’s great news Brodie. I’ll add that to my list.

Pewsey Vale Riesling vines in the Eden Valley date from 1961.

Forest Hill in the Great Southern planted its first vines in 1965, including what is now their Block 1 Riesling. These might be the oldest Riesling vines in WA.