Guthrie
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Adelaide Hills single vineyard grapes fashioned into wines of exceptional quality in the heart of Gumeracha.
Guthrie wines is the creation of Hugh and Sarah Guthrie, who have made a name for themselves producing wines that uncover some of the Adelaide Hills’ sites’ unseen beauty.
Chatting with Hugh between beach swims and kids play dates gives us a greater appreciation for the demands of running your own winery while entertaining three kids. Also remarkable is the fact that Hugh and Sarah’s Guthrie’s small family-run winery is an extension of Hugh’s family’s sixty-year-long existence on the Gumeracha estate. Today, Hugh manages to produce exceptional wines whilst keeping up with his family tradition of running sheep, all the while raising his family.
One of the cornerstones of Hugh’s philosophy is making the most of beautiful fruit sourced from the right places, detailing the subtle nuances of unique Adelaide Hills sites using a minimalist approach. He has done so diligently for 8 years. But the 2019 Cudlee Creek fires did throw a spanner in the works, and Hugh was not able to produce some of the cult wines that made his reputation. The bountiful 2021 vintage was a welcome reprieve from the natural and sanitary commotions of the last three years. At long last, we are delighted to present you with his ever fresher and delightful new releases.
A few classics are making their big return in masterful reinterpretations for guaranteed enjoyment. This summer, be prepared to be enamoured with his wild Grüner Veltliner and let yourself be seduced by the most polished Pinot Noir red and rosé iterations.
2022 Riesling 'The Other Side'
The 'Other Side' Riesling glistens in the glass like a glimmer of hope. With a brand new name channeling the positive side of an otherwise terrible vintage that was plagued with bushfires, minuscule yields and other unnameable challenges of a trying year for all, it comes as a timely reminder of brighter times to come. Knock it back with oysters and shallot vinaigrette.
Winemaking:
Gerry Scamino's Balhannah vineyard provides the fruit for the 'The Other Side' Riesling. Hugh has been getting the entire load from the 4 rows since 2020.
The fruit is organically grown, minimally sprayed, and with a focus on small yields of excellent quality. It's hand-picked, then destemmed and left on skins for two hours. It's gently pressed to extract the fresh primary fruit characters. The juice is transferred into tanks where it's settled. It's racked off its solids before cool fermentation at controlled temperature. The wine is settled in tank for 3 months before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Crisp, crystal clear aromas of lime, green apple, pineapple, and resin fill the glass. The palate is just as zingy and varietal, with a striking acid line and a chalky, mineral touch on the finish.
2022 Sauvignon Blanc 'The Mondo'
Hugh Guthrie’s varieties of predilection include Australian favourites and cool climate loving Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and more recently Grüner Veltliner. Hugh takes advantage of the Adelaide Hills’ diverse microclimatic pockets to channel each variety’s essence. His winemaking philosophy favours wild ferments and minimal fining to create wines with incredible character. This Sauvignon Blanc is crunchy, textural and creates pure delight at every sip. Enjoy it with ricotta gnudi and sage butter.
Winemaking:
The fruit comes from a Kenton Valley vineyard, between Lobethal and Gumeracha. The fruit is destemmed, very gently pressed to a combination of stainless-steel tank and oak barrel (10%) for fermentation. This year’s style is punchy and varietal, reminiscent of Sancerre. It is wild fermented on full solids to highlight its flamboyant character. No malolactic conversion is encouraged to preserve the fresh acidity.
Tasting Notes:
The most delicate nose slowly but surely revealing primary notes of gooseberry, nectarine, and grapefruit. There are complex notes of sweet jasmine rice, Turkish delight, and musk creating a lot of interest. The palate has a distinguished mineral crunch adding a salty touch to the sweet fruit flavours. It is an extremely inviting Sauvignon Blanc that makes a lasting impression on the palate and the mind.
2022 Chardonnay 'Clones'
Growing up on his family’s sheep farm in Gumeracha, Hugh Guthrie developed an early interest and passion for the local vineyards of the Torrens Valley region. He went on to complete a master of oenology at the University of Adelaide, then perfected his craft around wineries in Australia and overseas. After producing award-winning wines for The Lane Vineyard, Hugh decided to focus on the Guthrie wines in 2014. He and his wife, Sarah, have since established themselves firmly as leading Adelaide Hills vintners. Their family-run winery is nothing short of impressive and awe-inspiring, much like the ‘Clones’ Chardonnay. Lemon and dill butter poached marron sounds like a perfect match for it.
Winemaking:
The fruit comes from a neighbouring vineyard in Mount Torrens where Hugh runs his sheep. It is planted to a variety of clones picked at the same time for a more cohesive blend. The fruit is destemmed to incorporate more solids and create greater textural appeal. It was then pressed to tank and barrelled in a mix of French old and new (33%) puncheons, where it rested for 8 months, without malolactic conversation. It remained without sulphur until bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Drinking the 2021 ‘Clones’ Chardonnay comes with a sigh of relief after the devastation of the Cudlee Creek fires meant it couldn’t be produced in 2020. This is a seamlessly balanced, new age Chardonnay showing off intense aromas of yellow peach, lemon zest, orange blossom, toasted almond and a generous amount of oak spice characters. It has a bone-dry palate nicely completed with ripe lemon, peach and mango flavours that are underlined by a firm acid grip.
2021 Grüner Veltliner 'Wild'
Hugh’s wines are part benchmarks of quality, part experimental. He seeks the best examples of fruit grown in the right places, from Gumeracha to Birdwood, Ashton, and other prime Adelaide Hills locations with pristine reputations. The result is seamless with just enough intrigue to keep you coming back for more. This is an interesting take on the Austrian variety highlighting the floral and spice characters. The ‘Wild’ Grüner Veltliner is part of the Concept range, which pushes varietal boundaries by delving into the amazing flavours and textures that can be teased out with creative winemaking. This Grüner Veltliner is where all the wild things are. Its shapeshifting, rich and textural nature makes it ideal for spicy Thai noodles or bitter rocket and apple salad.
Winemaking:
The fruit comes from the same vineyard as the Sauvignon Blanc. Hand-picked, destemmed, 4-6 hours on skins, pressed to tank, then racked off the heavy solids to a different tank. Wild fermented at cool temperature, then transferred to seasoned (2016) barrels (barriques) to continue fermentation. It is left in barrel for another 8 to 9 months. Very responsive to a lot of treatments overall.
Tasting Notes:
There is so much happening in the glass – a rich bouquet of ripe citrus peel, orange blossom, chamomile, sage, dried fennel and ripe apricot, and a creamy palate offering lemon custard, spiced white peach and green peas, all of it held tightly by a zippy acidity that freshens up the finish.
2023 Pinot Rose 'Sleepless Nights'
This wine stands proudly within the delicious dry, savoury style rosé category. Within Australia’s plethora of rosés, this one certainly makes generalisation difficult with its soft, savoury spice and delicate red fruit characters. The heart-warming colour and the way Hugh applied his magic to the fruit are defining characters. This wine was made with primary intent, rather than as an afterthought – a welcome take on this highly popular style that manages to capture one’s imagination with lightness and the clear resolution to delight. Heirloom tomatoes, burrata and jamon should add a trick to the party this is.
Winemaking:
The fruit comes from a cool, south-facing vineyard in Birdwood planted to sparkling Pinot Noir clone D5V12. It produces beautiful rosé quality Pinot Noir thanks to its upright and vigorous, open canopy. The fruit was hand-picked early, two weeks earlier than the rest of the Pinot Noir, to avoid high alcohol. It was destemmed, then pressed instantly to achieve this attractive pink orange, copper colour. 40% went through a slow, cool fermentation in French 500 litre and 600 litre oak barrels (which also helped preserve the colour), the rest in stainless steel. The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation before Spring bottling.
Tasting Notes:
It has the most attractive pale pink orange colour. The glass fills up with bright aromas of gardenia, ripe strawberry, pink pomelo, and quince. The palate is fresh and lively with delicate red currant, watermelon and raspberry flavours showing great intensity and depth against the gentle yet persistent acid.
2021 Pinot/Syrah 'Clover Fields'
The 'Clover Fields' Pinot Syrah recently flew into the warehouse and wowed us its instant charm and drop-dead gorgeous “Australian Burgundy” appeal. As unusual a pairing as it may be, it's an enduring style that Australian winemakers have made their own over the years. It blurs the line between the lighter, more subdued demeanour of Pinot Noir and the bolder temperament of Shiraz, resulting in a wine that is a nod to the rich history of adventurous Australian winemaking, and a celebration of wholesome styles of wines that appeal to all wine drinkers. Roasted beetroots and pine mushrooms make a delicious earthy match.
Winemaking:
The Pinot Noir hails from the same vineyard as the 'Clones' Pinot Noir, hence the elegant complexity on display. The Syrah accounts for half of the blend, adding richness and spice. The Pinot Noir was wild fermented in open fermenters, then aged in French oak barrels for up to 9 months. The Syrah was left on skins for about 10 days, then wild fermented in open fermenters, and finally aged in stainless steel tanks for 9 months.
Tasting Notes:
Pinot and Syrah joined in a classic Aussie light red style.
Plushly composed, it has intense juicy blackberry and red cherry aromas and flavours wildly swirling on the palate. It' doesn't play hard to get and the generous fruit, soft tannins and fine line of acidity make it quite the catch.
2023 Pinot Noir 'Clones'
With the ‘Clones’ Pinot Noir, Hugh stands out as one of the most dynamic producers who are well on their way to raising the bar on Adelaide Hills wines, by focusing on the variety’s natural qualities through minimal winemaking, pulling ripeness right back and producing a style that is whole-berry driven and distinctively in the red fruit spectrum. With still much left to be uncovered from each pocket of this diverse region, Hugh shows us that all the difference is made by sourcing fruit from the right place, where quality is both the end and the means. A delicious drink made even better with san choy bow.
Winemaking:
The fruit is picked from a cool Birdwood vineyard planted to classic Pinot Noir clones (777, MV6, 114, 115) picked separately. The 777 clone is very floral, while the MV6 adds a solid base note with bolder characters. The 114 and 115 clones bring bright red cherry and spicy characters. This year was a cooler one, so the fruit was fully destemmed. It was wild fermented and plunged once a day at the peak of the ferment over a 7-day period, and up to 14 days. It was then pressed to tank to settle and transferred without too many solids into new (20%) 600 litre and 300 litre barrels. It went through malolactic fermentation in barrel, after which the wine was racked and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
The nose and the palate show sour cherry and red currant, with a whiff of cherry liqueur and amaro herb characters. It is elegant and smooth with ample fruit weight to play off the oak derived spice and glossy tannins. It has a savoury, earthy complexity, with a striking mineral line adding complexity to the finish.
2021 Syrah ‘Snare’
The fruit comes from the Kenton Valley. It grows on a close planted vineyard (1m x 1m). It was hand-picked, then destemmed (50%) and left on skins for two and a half weeks. It was gently pressed to extract the fresh primary fruit characters. The juice was transferred into tanks for solids to settle. It was racked off before cool fermentation. The wine was finally aged in second use French oak barrels, some puncheons, some hogsheads for 7 to 8 months and another 3 months in bottle.