Cockatoo Ridge Wines has just released its two new white wines from the 2008 vintage - the 2008 Cockatoo Ridge Sauvignon Blanc and the 2008 Cockatoo Ridge Chardonnay. According to Cockatoo Ridge Chief Winemaker, Mr Roger Harbord, both are the best commercial white wines yet produced from Cockatoo Ridge in what he calls a "revolution in attention to detail." Explaining, Roger Harbord says: "Australia has a revolution on its hands in the export world, whether we like it or not.

"Countries like Chile and South Africa are fast catching us up and, with the aid of cheap labor, can afford to put wines on the international market at prices that are more than competitive with ours. "That means we have to get better at what we do best - providing quality wines at reasonable costs - and that is despite a rising $A that makes things more difficult.

"The answer is to produce quality wines through attention to detail - ensuring that the wines we make are of the best possible quality but are "no fuss" wines that offer the consumer flavour and fruit. "And that is exactly what we have achieved with the two new white releases from 2008 - wines that are of show standard, filled with fruit and flavour and offered to the market - both in Australia and internationally -- at great value for money."

Obviously in a year beset by record summer heat, the 2008 vintage was not one for the faint hearted and in Roger Harbord's case his attention to detail paid off in "spades."

For starters he was very active in Riverland vineyards, ensuring that Cockatoo Ridge had sufficient grapes to meet its crushing targets despite yields reduced through cut-backs in Riverland water supplies. That attention to detail gave him his first big break as he decided to pick the best fruit he could find early in vintage - thus ensuring that both the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay were picked well before the heatwave struck SA.

Commenting today, Cockatoo Ridge Managing Director, Mr Peter Perrin said: "Roger Harbord brings to Cockatoo Ridge considerable experience in premium winemaking, along with his proven ability to handle large volume wine operations.

In a departure from previous vintages he decided to pick fruit a little "greener" - 11.5-12 Baume for the Sauvignon Blanc and 12 - 12.5 Baume for the Chardonnay -- ensuring a fine balance between fruit flavours and acidity..

The other "break" was that proper management practices and pre-vintage pruning regimes were in place in all his key vineyards resulting in lower yields and thus providing greater fruit intensity through greater skin contact and smaller bunches.

All fruit was picked at night, allowed to cool prior to crushing and then the resultant juice was cold fermented.

The 2008 Cockatoo Ridge Sauvignon Blanc

A fruit-driven young wine displaying great life and zest. Colouring is a bright pale straw with apple green hues on the rim.

The bouquet is fresh and lifted, with good herbaceous characters evident.

The good length palate is fruit-filled, with grassy tropical flavours evident and its structure is balanced by a cleansing acidity as a perfect foil to the fruit flavours.

To Roger Harbord's view this is a "drink now" Sauvignon Blanc and "one right out of the box."

The 2008 Cockatoo Ridge Chardonnay

Again a fruit-driven wine made in a medium style and unwooded.

Colouring is a medium light straw with just a hint of brilliant green on the meniscus.

The full nose displays lovely soft melon fragrances combined with a hint of peaches.

The extended palate is soft, round and fruit filled with melons and tropical fruit flavours along with zingy lemon before the mouth is refreshed with a crisp cleansing light acidity on the finish.

In Roger Harbord's words: "Chardonnay is the work horse of the Australian wine industry and this is one that all wine lovers will greatly enjoy.

"It is where we want to go with Chardonnay at Cockatoo Ridge - this is our template for the future."

The Price

Both the 2008 Cockatoo Ridge Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 Cockatoo Ridge Chardonnay are available in retail outlets throughout Australia for around $ ... per bottle.