St Maur February 2024 Newsletter
February 4, 2024 10:50 amWelcome to our St Maur newsletter for February 2024. In this newsletter:
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- February 2024 Vineyard and Winery Update
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- St Maur in the Illawarra and South Coast
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- Powering Up with Worthington BMW
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- Latest St Maur Releases
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- Ordering Latest Releases
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February 2024 Vineyard and Winery Update
Well January just came and went so quickly and here we are in February. I trust that all our members have had a good start to 2024 and will have a great year ahead.
Over the break we’ve been busy in the vineyard making sure that our vines are developing well, with the space to let our fruit access the sunlight and have good air circulation. I think the vineyard is looking very good as we head towards harvest.
But, let me say a few words about the interesting season we’ve been having here at St Maur and in the Southern Highlands.
We were getting prepared for a scorcher, expecting a dry summer thanks to El Niño, but it seems Mother Nature had other plans. Instead of a hot and dry summer, we’ve dodged the occasional storm, had a few periods of rain, and are now dealing with humidity.
Now, we’re playing a waiting game, hoping the rain doesn’t stick around too long. Looking ahead, I think we should be fine as our grapes develop and we prepare for picking.
I’m cautiously confident that the season will bring some milder weather over the months ahead. That way, we can enjoy a more relaxed ripening process for our fruit, taking our time to harvest at the optimal time.
Strong heat and sun are good to develop higher sugars in the grapes, creating intense full bodied wines, cooler weather means we’ll likely end up with fruit that produce medium bodied wines that are nuanced and elegant. A good result, and much truer to our Southern Highlands cool climate.
While our cellar door has been closed, we have also been busy in the background working on our 2023 vintages, see our latest releases below. Members can always pick up their Members boxes from the vineyard – call (02) 4883 4401 and leave a message and we can arrange a time for you to pick up your selection.
So here’s hoping the weather plays nice for the rest of the season. I’d be grateful for a classic Southern Highlands autumn with just the right amount of sunshine and mild weather.
St Maur in the Illawarra and South Coast
While many of our members and customers know they can find St Maur wines at select retailers in the Southern Highlands and Sydney, we have recently grown our distribution with retailers in the Illawarra and parts of the South Coast.
We have been busy over summer connecting with select retailers in Bulli, Wollongong, Woonona, Figtree, Shellharbour and Berry just to name a few locales. Keep an eye out for St Maur if you are in one of these beachside areas, or enjoying the charm of Berry.
Powering Up with Worthington BMW
One of Marco’s long standing friends, Brad Worthington, is the owner of Worthington BMW, on the Central Coast and a long-time supporter of St Maur. On a recent visit to see Marco, Brad noticed the Tesla Battery charger in our parking area we make available to customers and members that are visiting St Maur.
Seizing the opportunity, Brad offered to collaborate with St Maur and is providing a BMW charger that will be installed later in February. Our thanks go out to Brad and Worthington BMW. If you would like an introduction to Brad to test drive or purchase a new, electric, demonstrator or Premium Certified used car let me know and I will put you in touch.
Latest Releases
Like most vineyards in the Highlands, our 2022 vintage was lost due to the wet. So, we’re very excited to be releasing wines from our 2023 vintage.
In January we have been busy bottling our latest releases as they have matured and are now ready.
We are happy to offer the following wines for our members to purchase from February 2024:
St Maur Lot 41 2023 Pinot Noir
The grapes for our 2023 Pinot Noir come from our back block on our cool climate estate. Matured in French oak barrels for 15 months this aromatic wine opens with a rustic nose of earthiness and black cherries which develops into clean, pure fruit. The palate is well structured with elegant tannins on the finish. Drink now or cellar through to 2032. 12.9% Alcohol/Vol
Cellar Door Price $39 BTL | $234 Case (6) Members discount available for members
St Maur Lot 41 2023 Pinot Gris
The wine shows a delicate colour with an intense nose of pear, peach, and bright musk. A medium bodied Pinot Gris, fresh and well balanced. Ready to drink now. 12.6% Alcohol/Vol
Cellar Door Price $34 BTL | $204 Case (6) Members discount available for members
St Maur Lot 41 2023 Chardonnay
Matured in new and old oak barrels for 10 months. The wine’ nose is dominated by fresh fruit. The palate is medium to light bodied, with a bright acidity, and flavours of green plum, apple, and pear. Drinking well now or cellar through to 2029. 12.9% Alcohol/Vol
Cellar Door Price $34 BTL | $204 Case (6) Members discount available for members
Ordering Latest Releases
Members can order wines by phone (02) 4883 4401, via email: info@stmaurwines.com.au or through our website: stmaurwines.com.au
Please note that the Cellar Door is operating with limited hours at the moment – we are open on the third weekend of every month, Saturday and Sunday, from 10.30am – 4.30pm. Our next open dates are Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th February.
However, I am happy to arrange to meet members at the cellar door to fulfill your wine purchase. You can reach me (Marco) on 0412 911 239 and we can arrange a suitable time.
With the new vintage releases, we have a limited number of cases of our Lot 41 2021 Pinot Gris, Lot 41 2021 Chardonnay and Lot 41 2023 Pinot Noir Rose left in stock. I know members are very fond of the Rose so I suggest that you get in early and purchase a half case to avoid the disappointment of missing out.
We’re also looking for full time and part time staff for our cellar door. If you know of people who would be interested they can visit https://www.stmaurwines.com.au/careers/
Its been challenging finding competent staff and we are hopeful that we can resume normal hours soon.
I will keep you posted on how our crop is developing in the months ahead and if we resume more regular Cellar door opening hours, I will let our members know.
Until then, be well.
With kind regards,
Marco
This post was written by John Giro