Conversations with winemakers: Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, South Australia by Barnes Christopher

Author:Barnes, Christopher [Barnes, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2017-12-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chester, what sort of winemaking equipment are you using?

This is a 170-year-old French cock press, basket press, for moving the juice, pressing the juice out of the skins after the red ferment. It really fits into our philosophy of winemaking, it's a very traditional style of winemaking, very hands-on and very small batches. We can keep every part of our vineyards separate, after they finish here, they'll finish in barrel and we can keep the 15 barrels separate. We will be able to follow exactly what's going on, which is really making wine in a small batch process.

It is so interesting that you make 60 wines. What is the thinking behind it, and how do you do that with the small batches? I think that's a very unique part of what you do, and I want to make sure that we understand your thinking.

We keep every parcel separate from the vineyards. We even often pick halfway down the row and keep that separate from the other half, as the geology might change there. We’re keeping everything separate in five-ton little cap fermenters. Then these presses also keep it in a small little batch. This is important, so that we can really see exactly what is going on in each of the vineyards, so we can get the maximum out of it, really adding value. We can have small batches of straight Shiraz from one little vineyard, and it's the best barrels, of the best batch, of the best part of that vineyard. If we just put it all in together, some parts of the vineyard are a little bit less than other parts and so we wouldn't be able to make that really special great wine out of it.

Just touch again on the 60 wines, and what the differences are. Also, the 33 varieties, and the thinking along those lines.

We have 60 different wines that we make here, out of 33 different grape varieties. What I'm doing really is having a lot of fun. The more I can make, the more fun I have. But really, it's an educational thing, too. By having so many different batches, you can really see what every part of the vineyard is doing and then understand, when you come to blending some of the bigger blends, what each one actually does. And as they mature, what it's going to turn into. So it's a real aid to what we're doing.

Also, when the sales reps are out there, selling one of those 60 wines, he's always going to get a sale, because there's always something that store needs, and we’ll have it in the portfolio.

What makes the McLaren Vale such a special place to grow grapes?

The beautiful thing about McLaren Vale is being right near the sea, and being at the top end of a peninsula, so we have quite mild winters and we don't have frost. We get nice winters and spring rains come through from the west, but we don't want to get the summer rains from the north.

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