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NOTES
Jane and Andrew Mitchell established the winery in 1975 on the Mitchell family property in the western hills of the Clare Valley in South Australia. An old sandstone apple store was converted to serve as a rustic cellar door sales area. Continued growth has resulted in further development of the winery buildings and winemaking plant.
The grapes for Mitchell wines come from the company’s four local vineyards. Varieties planted are Riesling, Semillon, Shiraz, Merlot, Grenache and Cabernet. Vine age ranges from as little as five to over fifty five years. Soils are red-brown loam and clay over limestone. The altitude of these vineyards is between 300 and 400 metres and the average rainfall in the vicinity of 600mm, falling mostly in the winter (May–September).
The largest vineyard is located at Watervale, several kilometres south of the winery. This vineyard was acquired in 1995 and is planted with 50 year old dry grown Grenache and Riesling grapes. Set on the exposed eastern slopes of undulating hills, with long rows of vines, this can be a very bleak place in the middle of winter at pruning time. This has led to it becoming known among the vineyard workers as Alcatraz - a place to do penance in the cold, wind and rain of a Clare winter. Alcatraz is particularly suited to the Riesling variety. The other major vineyard is at the winery site at Sevenhill. Planted entirely to red grapes: Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this is the source vineyard for the Mitchell Cabernet.
TASTING NOTES
Subtle French oak handling - both during fermentation and initial aging - serves to complement the stylishly tangy fruit in this wine. The palate is clean, fresh and with crisp acidity. A good balance of ‘lemony’ Semillon fruit flavour, harmonised with dimension of integrated oak on the middle palate. Mitchell Semillon is easily approachable when young and with 2–5 years of cellaring develops the butter and straw characters which are typical of high quality aged Semillon.
OTHER REVIEWS
Given complexity and structure by barrel ferment in French oak (mainly old) without compromising the grassy varietal fruit or delicacy; good line and length. Screwcap. 13%. 94 Points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2009
The best of Watervale's priceless terra rossa on limestone or calcite or whatever it is gives rise to this remarkable semillon. Its wild yeasts, combined with that terroir, give the wine an alluring acrid edge the like of which I'd normally expect of Bordeaux or Sancerre whites. Then comes all that wholesome lemon-and-lime sabayon character which twists neatly around the finest seasoned french oak. it's very tody, determinedly individual wine; perfect for an Alsace-style choucroute with smoked wursts. 93+++ Points, Tony Love, The Adelaide Advertiser, February 20, 2007
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