Winemaker Profile: Sue Hodder
Sue Hodder has been the chief winemaker at Wynns Coonawarra Estate for a decade now and while five or six years ago it seemed as if she was up against it, there’s a good argument to now say that Wynns is in better quality shape than at any other time in the past fifty years. It’s a remarkable credit to her and her team, both in the winery and in the vineyards. The ’standard’ wines are back to their best, as is the signature John Riddoch cabernet sauvignon, and the frequent release of special single vineyard offerings can, now that we’ve seen a number of them, be called a significant success. Adam Catford profiles Sue Hodder …
Name:
Sue Hodder
Age:
45
Where you currently make wine:
Wynns Coonawarra Estate
Location:
Coonawarra
Where you’ve made wine in the past:
Bordeaux, Napa, Mendocino, Great Western and the Barossa.
Most significant wine you’ve consumed: probably (and perhaps predictably?)
The1954 Wynns Cabernet made by Norm Walker
Could you describe this wine?
Reminiscent of fresh mushrooms with fruit vinosity and texture – amazing to drink a wine of that age which still has fruit flavours. It is particularly impressive when tasting a wine like this to understand the winemaking and viticultural challenges of the time. Furthermore, this wine was the start of a great heritage of Cabernet in this country.
Wine you’re most proud of having been associated with the making of? Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon over the past decade.
A number of vintage climatic “extremes” have occurred in that period and yet the character and style of the fruit has prevailed. To make a significant contribution to the lineage of Wynns Cabernet is something I take very seriously. More importantly, it is great fun to make – so many good parcels to select from.
What wine that you have made has the most interesting story behind it – and what is that story?
Since 2001 we have released individual vineyard wines – 2001 Harold Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 and 2004 Johnsons Shiraz Cabernet and 2005 Messenger Cabernet.
These are all significant Australian Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. They have a history and have been used as mother blocks for cuttings in the expansion of the cabernet plantings throughout the country in the 1990s. Stylistically, these wines are distinctive and are dissimilar to our black label Cabernet and the John Riddoch. The team has had great pleasure selecting these parcels and giving recognition and identity to vineyards that have served us well for over 30 years.
Is there any wine you’ve been associated with the making of that, if you had your time again, you’d treat/make differently?
Yes. When I was making sparkling wines in the early 1990s, I would have made riper yet drier styles for better drinkability. However, that was a style evolution that soon followed.
In your opinion, which wine style/grape variety does Australia and New Zealand, respectively, do best?
Obviously Australia has a particular affinity with Shiraz. Most regions make adequate to outstanding Shiraz.
I have been very impressed with the NZ pinots of the last couple of vintages. The Central Otago wines have improved markedly.
Other than the wineries you have worked with, which Australian/NZ winery is best represented in your personal cellar?
I love Tyrrell’s Semillon and St Henri Shiraz
Favourite wine region (Australia):
Coonawarra, but I am impressed by the potential of Orange. If anyone says chardonnay is boring, I’d suggest a tasting of the current Orange chardonnays – fine, yet rich and certainly age-worthy.
Favourite wine region (world-wide):
Bordeaux – somewhat unfashionable at the moment, but some of the wines from the 04 and 05 vintages are truly beautiful. Many of the winemakers have done a phenomenal job of refining decades of traditional practices to overcome brettanomyces and face oversupply issues.
Favourite movie:
Shane. Allan Ladd in the new frontiers of the mid west.
Favourite book (general):
‘Nicholas and Alexandra’ by Keith Massie or more recently, “the Inheritance of Loss” by Hiran Desai.
Favourite wine-related book:
Encyclopaedia of Wine (Jancis Robinson). I refer to it all the time.
Desert-island food-wine match:
Mature, washed-rind cheese with good sour dough and a 15 year old good cabernet.
How do you take your coffee?
Latte (and far too many of them).
What do you most love about the wine industry?
The annual growth cycle of the vines and how different growing conditions are played out.
What do you most detest about the wine industry?
Generalised (and usually negative) statements are made and accepted without being substantiated.
Any comments you would like to make in relation to the wine industry here or globally?
The next 5 years will be defining for us all. Water shortages against a backdrop of financial instability will see some regions and labels survive, but I fear many will not.
How has the 2008 turned out?
Very well indeed. We had a cool February which set us up well for the extreme heat of early march. A couple of early parcels were “cooked” but most of the good material was still green at that time and ripened very well. I rate the 2008 reds very highly – perhaps similar to the 1994’s which showed more red than dark fruits and have aged slowly- time will tell.
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