It's mid March and I'm just about to set off to spend a couple of weeks at the RedHeads wine studio in the McLaren Vale ... the start of the 2005 vintage. Whilst there I'll also be able to assist with the bottling of the 2003 Lot 7 Shiraz.Lot 7 is the winery's most popular wine ... OK that's probably because it is the least expensive, but it is a lot more than just another inexpensive Aussie shiraz. We see that has registered with many, because we are getting lots of calls asking when the new release is coming. 'Next summer' is the answer, but I'll be posting an invitation to Laithwaites customers at the end of March to collect orders prior to shipment.
Just a small deposit will secure your cases, and we will ship only what is reserved this way because, as we hoped when we started the cellar in 2001, the wine has also started selling well in Australia and the USA. But, as it's our winery, we get first refusal (and, but keep this quiet, we get a much cheaper price). Keep an eye out for your invitation.
You'll probably remember the photos of the winemakers in the studio stirring their tiny fermenters. Many of those wines have hit astonishing quality heights and are all sold out to customers here in Australia, the USA and now even France.
Red Heads is a very small winery.... as the many Laithwaites customers who have called in there will testify. In the last 6 months twice as many customers have visited Red Heds x,000 miles away as have visited our La Clariere winery in Bordeaux! There is just the Studio building the size of an average suburban house, and the Shed out back, about the same size but higher.
It impresses me. Lot 7 impresses all of us at Laithwaites. Do put your £25 down when your invitation arrives at the end of the month and look forward to the wines in summer.
Next message will be from down under ... till then ... bye"
