Advance notice from the central Victorian winery of Mitchelton would suggest that with its umpteenth label restructure over the last decade it will have finally settled on a formula that not only makes sense but which should last the distance. Mitchelton has been working hard to promote its image as a specialist producer of Rhone Valley varietals, but in doing so has clearly been hampered by the ongoing presence and success of its popular and benchmark Blackwood Park Riesling. Add to this the presence in its folio of wines from cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, and the message was not an easy one to sell. March 1 will see the appearance in stores of several new Blackwood Park varietal wines. Priced around $17, this new estate-grown selection will comprise a Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, Chardonnay 2002 and a Merlot 2001, plus of course the existing Riesling. Seventy-percent of all wines will be sealed under screwcap, except the Cabernet Sauvignon which must wait until the release of its 2001 vintage. This leaves Mitchelton’s Central Victorian label to focus on its Rhone-based varietals and blends. It will be pruned back to the Airstrip blend of marsanne, roussanne and viognier ($25), the Crescent blend of shiraz, mourvedre and grenache ($25), the Shiraz ($21), the Viognier ($21) and the Classic Release Marsanne ($30). The 1999 Print Label Shiraz will also be released in March at around $50.
