Click on images to enlarge
17 June 1981
Mudgee vineyards are back on the map
MUDGEE'S wine history parallels that of the Upper Hunter, and the area is on the same latitude, but there the similarity ends.
Mudgee is one of the oldest and richest agricultural areas in the State, producing some fine sheep and cattle as well as crops. But it is the wine industry that has experienced the most dramatic revival.
The first winegrowers were Germans who discovered the area on their trek from Brisbane to South Australia. About 10 families eventually settled permanently and planted the first vines in the 1850s. Among them was Adam Roth, who planted vines in I855, establishing a vineyard that was to survive 126 years of vicissitudes.
His first vintage in 1858 proved the expected quality, and Rothview was named. The winery now stands on the site of the original homestead where Adam Roth made this first vintage. Other growers, seeing his success, followed, and soon the area was producing fine wines.
At about the same time, gold was discovered nearby by Edward Hargraves, the owner of a sheep property on the Bathurst plains. This proved to be of great profit for Roth and his contemporaries.
Aspiring millionaires on their way to the "diggings" needed fortification against the cold night air, and just about all that was produced in the fledgling Mudgee vineyards was snapped up.
Mudgce's population expanded steadily. Adam Roth had sired six sons, and the area's 13 vineyards were serviced by eight wineries, six of which belonged to the Roths, in a virtual wine monopoly.
Other families rode the prosperity wave before the crash of the nineties. One such family was the Bucholtz. Its vineyard, Fredericksberg, was apparently the biggest.
With the rural crash of the 1890s, the family was wiped out. It is a pity, because they did very well in overseas wine exhibitions.
The property is still there. Its cellars arc under a house now owned by a Roth descendant.
Poor demand eventually brought about the industry's death in Mudgee. By 1940 only one vineyard remained: Rothview, which has been renamed Craigmoor.
Until 1960, little interest was shown in the aria's winemaking capabilities, and acceptance was at an all-time low.
However, Craigmoor won a gold medal at the 1966 Sydney wine show. I recall tasting some of the early wines in the 1960s and finding them rather big in flavour and somewhat oxidised.
There are 13 winemakers in Mudgee, and they each produce very individual wines. Technique and quality have improved out of sight.
Today's owners of' Craigmoor are Cyrille and Jocelyn van Heyst. They are energetically promoting its historical associations and high quality wines.
New labels have been designed, and this, in conjunction with a completely revamped range of wines and styles, augurs well as the 123rd vintage is completed.
Each wine has its individually designed logo which refers to the grape variety. These are rather Egyptian in character.
Ian Lindeman is now well established as their winemaker, and is producing some very well-made wines that do much to dispell the old Mudgee Mud tag that has annoyed them for years.
The tag is a misnomer in relation to Mudgee wine. It was originally the unkind reference to Mudgee beer.
Today Craigmoor is producing delicate white wines from a variety of grapes. Probably the most outstanding is the Chardonnay, which has been matured in three different types of wood: German, American and French. Individual taste preferences are important, and it is interesting to see the varying effects that the wood has on the grape flavour.
Semillon has a delightful peachy overtone - a trait which seems to belong particularly to Mudgee. The wine is long-lived: even at 10 years of age, it is still youthful and fresh. Mudgce's ability to produce some of the rarer styles is supported by the recent release of the 1979 Jocelvn and Cyrille van Lieysl oak-matured Pinot Noir. It is an exciting wine for its fruitiness, delicacy and soft, clean finish.
The more standard varieties, Shiraz and Cabernet, blend well or can produce top individual wines. lust released is the 1977 Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, which have been matured in small Nevers puncheons.
Its fruit extraction and blending, together with its clean, fresh finish with slight wood flavour, make it a good example of what the area can produce. Solt, fruity yet dry-finishing ports are also produced. A particularly good example is the recently released 1978 Cabernet Vintage Port. It is one to drink now or cellar for a decade. Wines of this quality are again putting Mudgee on the winemaking map1 .