Dive into Big River
Big River Distilling Co. was founded in Australia’s National Capital, Canberra. When European settlers were exploring the Canberra region they went in search of ‘The Big River’. They came across the Murrumbidgee, where it meanders through the Brindabella Mountains, close to Canberra. The uniqueness comes not only from the quality of the water and botanical ingredients, but also in the experience and knowledge of founder, Clyde Morton. Starting his career as a Nuclear Physicist, his passion for exploration and creative instincts took him out of physics and into winemaking, and then onto distilling. Clyde’s scientific curiosity, winemaking and judging background, gives Big River Distilling a unique capability rare in the distilling world.
Assistant Brand Manager Nicola McClure chats with Clyde on his journey with Big River Distilling Co.
NM: What inspired you to become a distiller?
CM: My inspiration for distilling partly arose from my background in science and winemaking. The decision to bite the bullet and enter the distilling industry was crystalised after a visit to Tasmania tasting new styles of gin and Australian whisky.
NM: What is it that you look to achieve when you’re making Big River Gin?
CM: Like all things that are well designed, when done well they just work. Gin is no exception. When I present a new gin to a customer I am looking for their overall reaction. If this is positive and they enjoy the flavours and the serving suggestions, then I have done my job. There has been of course, many hours of design, experimentation and production work to get to this point.
NM: What have been the noticeable trends in local gin over the past few years?
CM: There has been, and will continue to be, alot of innovation in Australian gin including new styles such as grape gins and other fruit flavoured gins. Big River has a Distillery Door release using figs as the fruit made in a sloe gin style. There is continuing experimentation with novel Australian plants and a current trend of distilling with oyster shells to create salt and umami flavoured gins.
NM: What has your past experience taught you about making gin?
CM: My science background obviously helped with the technical aspects of distillation and winemaking taught me a great deal around the art & science of flavours.
CM: What's your favourite gin out of the Big River Distilling Co range?
CM: My favourite gin out of the Big River range is always the last one I made! Currently that is the Mandarin Gin, a collaboration between Big River and the Lotus restaurant group in Sydney. This gin features mandarin peel and the Chinese five spices for a gin that matches perfectly with Chinese cuisine.
NM: What does the future look like for Big River Distilling Co?
CM:The future for craft distilling in Australia and Big River's role in it is bright. Big River will continue to develop new gin flavours and experiment with other beverages like the yuzu flavoured amaro we are to release shortly. Big River's long term plans include the production of single malt whisky.
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BIG RIVER DISTILLING CO DRY GIN 42% ABV Juniper forward, with a mesh of citrus characters. Hops give an ephemeral, floral lift, with the traditional gin botanicals providing an earthy background, & mountain pepperleaf adding savoury & spicy notes. The palate is intense with asserting juniper and the long, dry finish is freshened up with a hint of cucumber. Serve with a light or Mediterranean tonic water, in a martini, with soda water and all your favourite gin cocktails. |
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BIG RIVER DISTILLING CO PINK GIN 40% ABV The flavour experience opens with an initial scent of juniper, followed by rhubarb which produces a fruit compote aroma. On the palate the prominent vanilla creates the perception of sweetness that compliments the juniper flavours very well. Ginger adds a gentle spiceto the finish. Serve with aromatic tonic water& strawberry, mixed with a blood orange soda, or with rosso vermouth in a martini. |
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BIG RIVER DISTILLING CO CINN GIN 44% ABV Cinnamon and woody spices work in conjunction with resiny juniper on the nose. Apples bring freshness to the palate that finishes soft and belies the 44% alcohol level. Serve with dry ginger ale, in a Negroni, a mulled gin cocktail, or on the rocks. |
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BIG RIVER DISTILING CO 3 GRAINS VODKA 40% ABV Grainy, smoky & nutty flavours at first, followed by a faint shaved-chocolate character from the buckwheat. The palate is initially smooth, with a spicy mid-palate due to the rye, finishing with a rounded, slightly viscous mouthfeel & clean aftertaste. Serve straight, in a Martini or Gibson, with a quality lemonade or tonic. |
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20/01/2023 at 10:39 AM
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Champagne Taittinger - A visit of pure pleasure
It was with great fanfare and palpable excitement to welcome Clovis Taittinger and Ronan De La Morlais, to the warm and sunny shores of Australia in September 2022. Since taking on exclusive distribution of the family owned champagne house in late 2020, Mezzanine the Fine Wine Specialist have brought this historic, elegant and luxurious champagne brand to more Australians than ever seen before.
With pleasure, Clovis and Ronan connected with new friends and old through a range of exclusive cocktail parties and masterclasses held across the eastern seaboard. Through these bespoke and fantastic events, the story of Champagne Taittinger came to life. It is a house of elegance, of history, of quality, but most importantly, is on a mission to share life moments of luxury, pleasure and pure enjoyment.
Here are a collection of musings from the team across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland on their impressions of this milestone visit and most overdue welcome to our beloved Champagne house.
Ronan De La Morlais (left) and Clovis Taittinger (right).
Lewis Parker – VIC Area Manager
The Taittinger visit brought an incredible amount of excitement. Although I was only four months into my career with Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist, I could see just how much the visit meant to the entire Joval family. For such an iconic producer to come all this way, it was extremely special. I was truly grateful to have such an involvement in the few days that Clovis Taittinger and Ronan de la Morlais spent with us in Melbourne.
My involvement with the trip started with a cocktail party on the first night hosted by the Kelvin Club. The guests for the event were made up of Mezzanine TFWS staff, key Taittinger customers and Kelvin Club members. It was fantastic to see both Clovis and Ronan interact with the guests at ease and to experience the event with such joy. It was particularly wonderful to see Clovis and Miss Pearls from the Kelvin Club reunited. Their relationship has blossomed over many years now and it was a true sign of just how much relationships mean not only to Clovis, but the Taittinger brand itself. A three-piece jazz band played throughout the evening, while guests enjoyed several small canapes that were paired with the NV Cuvee Prestige Brut and the NV Prestige Rose. It was great to see every guest chop and change between each wine throughout the night, trying to determine just which one was their favourite! It was an incredibly fun night and was a fantastic representation of what the brand stands for.
The next day was one like I had never experienced before. We started off with a masterclass for the staff at Gimlet at Cavendish House. They have been pouring the 2011 Comtes de Champagne for some time now and it was great for Clovis to stand in front of their team to express the history and story behind not only the brand, but the Comtes de Champagne itself. One thing that Clovis made a great deal on was the importance of relationships between the brand and the consumer. The relationship between Gimlet at Cavendish House and the Comtes de Champagne is one that is relatively new, but I am incredibly excited to see it blossom over the next few years. The staff at Gimlet were incredibly grateful for the experience of the masterclass and were seriously wowed by both Clovis and the Taittinger Champagnes. With an experience like this, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Comtes de Champagne poured at this wonderful venue for many years to come.
After the masterclass, Myself and Brennan Prior were lucky enough to sit down with Clovis and Ronan for lunch. This was an extraordinary experience where I had the opportunity to ask Clovis and Ronan much more in-depth questions, not just about the Taittinger Family, but their individual lives and passions too. Both gentlemen were so personable and easy to get along with. I left the experience with even more passion for the brand, and even more excitement to be able to represent them here in Australia. I look forward to one day visiting this Champagne House and welcoming back both Clovis and Ronan in their future trips to Australia.
Marion Chanliaud – NSW Area Manager
Meeting Clovis was quite the encounter. As a true Parisian French artist and philosopher, he took the team and our Sydney customers through a trip to Champagne, far from the winemaking details and logistics but more focused on experience and style. Champagne is not a wine, it’s an art de vivre, a moment to celebrate big milestones or just the pleasures of life shared with loved ones.
The Swillhouse team was very excited to get an opportunity to meet the heir of such an iconic Champagne house and the turn up to our masterclass on a public holiday was really impressive. Clovis was extremely approachable and really enjoyed talking to young wine people who displayed such an enthusiasm for the brand.
Gae Grant – QLD Trade & Brand Specialist
It was obvious from the first meeting with Clovis and Ronan, the objective was all about our relationship. We very comfortably dined with them both, on numerous occasions over their time in Brisbane.
Dinner at Greca with the Queensland leadership team set the scene for a large consumption of Champagne.
A highlight for the team was the meet and greet. We tasted through the full range of cuvées and were very spoilt to try the 2012 Comtes de Champagne. This was a special moment for the team who had travelled from afar to meet the infamous Clovis Taittinger. The team realised very quickly that there was to be no pomp and ceremony, but genuine comradery and story telling. A beautiful lunch on the waters edge at Bar Alto with the team sealed the devotion to Champagne Taittinger.
We hosted a key account Soiree at Otto Ristorante Brisbane, on the banks of the river. 20 key customers and some partners shared exquisite Champagne and canapes and a had a unique experience mingling with Clovis & Ronan, who were very engaging and won a few hearts. Bernadette O’Shea joined us as our special guest at dinner with the Queensland Managers and sat between Clovis and Ronan and felt very special.
Clovis, Ronan, The Fink Group and the MTFWS team.
05/12/2022 at 10:24 AM
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Inflation
Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist Brand Manager, Matt Keoghan, discusses how inflation is affecting the wine world.
INFLATION! One word that will no doubt take the place of “unprecedented” as the most used word of 2022…
It’s a word that has people cringing as we all get used to the current climate and higher cost of living (another phrase which will be up there) around the world. Unfortunately, the beverage industry has not been left untouched by it. It has been somewhat of a perfect storm with the fallout from COVID, the conflict in Eastern Europe and the current shortages in staffing across all industries. A combination that has made it very difficult for pricing products that are only harvested once per annum.
Hit hardest are the grape growers, especially those in regions that were a little too China centric prior to the embargo of Australian goods, albeit everything other than those particulars they really need ie ores, meat, wool and cereals... Grape growers in the Barossa are tipped to be averaging $800-$900 a tonne for premium fruit that used to be in high demand and going for $2,200 - $2,500 a tonne. Growers have been trying to plant future proofed varietals on the premise that bigger wine companies would unlock access to the more premium and favourable varieties by purchasing the experimental varieties. Now these growers will be hung out to dry as there is no leverage to sell package deals like the aforementioned. There will be many skeletal vines this winter with the remnants still hanging from the vine from fruit that could not find a home.
Soaring import costs, drops in supply and some obvious stockpiling of the likes of Chablis and Burgundy from buyers and consumers alike have made for severe undersupply of certain regions across the board. As a result, we will see a big push for more locally sourced wines of similar ilk. We are already seeing a large demand for high prized pinot noir producers from New Zealand because of this as the next cab off the rank, especially for top on premise outfits.
What does this mean for the consumer? We know that like all forms of cost of living, as wine is life, we are going to see this hit the consumer eventually, if not already. We are already seeing the thirst for imports that remain by the consumer especially in retail, but also the filtering through all cuvees of imports. We will see consumers wise up with value imports and start drawing more on domestic producers with great reputations.
The future in all facets is looking tough, but it is in these times that we need to support our industry as best we can, and hope that in hard times there are silver linings found, and the silver lining may be in the cloud of Australian wine being consumed more on Australian shores, and support given to those that need it most here.
22/11/2022 at 4:27 PM
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All Day Muscadet [muss-kuh-day]
-Brennan Prior, Trade Marketing Manager
My first splash of muscadet was on a warm, sun-baked spring Melbourne day when working the alfresco area of the renowned City Wine Shop. The resident sommelier, inspired by the spring afternoon, cracked open this unique and perfect wine. The crispness, savouriness and the sublime salty edge was so intriguing that I immediately offered a quick splash to anyone dining outside, spruiking this wonder which was so perfect for the sundrenched afternoon.
The wine hails from Western Loire Valley, and should not be confused with the fruity and diverse Muscat grape. It is made with a varietal called Melon De Bourgogne, a grape with striking high acidity. The wines have a mineral drive, a fresh saline character and flavours of green apple, pear, lemon, lime and a seashell savouriness. It's the ideal combination of Clare Valley Riesling and AC Chablis and a great choice for someone feeling a bit adventurous. The wine is exceptional when matched with seafood, particularly green lipped mussels or fresh, Sydney rock oysters.
Keep an eye our for Sur Lie on the labels which refers to extended lees aging, creating a creamier texture and a yeasty savouriness.
Domaine De La Combe is led by winemaker Pierre-Henri Gadais who celebrates the unique location of the Domaine – which is almost surrounded by the Sèvre River in Western Loire. The Domaine is organic in conversion, with accreditation expected from vintage 2021. Both wines undertake wild fermentation underground in stainless steel tank, with the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie aged on lees “sur lie” for 8 months and the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Réserve Personnelle aged on lees for 14 months. Whilst we are experiencing another temperamental and wet La Niña season, for those days when the sun is shining, there is nothing better than this crisp, savoury Muscadet and a dozen oysters in the sun.
As I’d like to say, when the suns out, it’s a muscadet for it.
15/11/2022 at 10:23 AM
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West Coast Wine Country with Jackson Family Wines
- Louis Hastie, VIC Area Manager
To say that after two years of no international travel I was excited to get abroad, would be an understatement. When given the opportunity to travel to the United States as a guest of Jackson Family Wines, I was understandably excited, especially to see the West Coast wine regions of Northern California. Despite being a short, sharp, five day trip through the growing regions of Napa and Sonoma, plenty of ground was covered.
Hilary Morgan (QLD Area Manager) and I began our tour visiting the diverse growing region of Sonoma County and its various AVAs (American Viticultural Area). We were fortunate to visit wineries from the greater Jackson Family Wines portfolio. Jackson Family Wines is one of the most significant, quality wine companies in the world with a number of high quality and premium wine estates in America and across the world, which we at Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist alongside our partner company red+white represent a large number of them in Australia.
The first visit was Hartford Court in Russian River AVA. Hartford Court produces high quality cool climate pinot noir and chardonnay, along with great examples of alternate varietals such as chenin blanc. I was taken aback how the maritime influence from the nearby Pacific Ocean cooled the area to temperatures well below the greater Sonoma region.
Hartford Court
Stonestreet Estate
Next stop was arguably one of the more impressive visits of the tour, Stonestreet Estate based outside Healdsburg, overlooking the Anderson Valley AVA. Although it is very high in altitude when compared to the rest of the county, there was a noticeable jump in temperature and intensity of the sun from being further inland. Whilst looking across the valley towards the winery’s Alexander Mountain estate, I was reminded of Coal River in Tasmania, with the warmer than average day time temperatures cooled by the high elevation of their plantings.
Diurnal temperature variation, especially at night, helps maintain the wines noticeable acidity and freshness. This was especially apparent when tasting through the chardonnay and cabernet from the Mountain estate, with both showing structure and elegance. I especially enjoyed tasting the back vintage 2010 Rockfall cabernet sauvignon, a wine which was truly in its prime and showing sophisticated tertiary characteristics. I was also taken aback by the quality of the winery itself, with a huge selection of fermentation and maturing vessels available to the winemaking team. A true winemaker's nirvana to be sure.
To finish off the day, we headed back towards the coast to Kendall-Jackson’s home estate near Santa Rosa for a tasting and dinner. The estate, almost French in appearance, was host to one of the great sensory activities I have seen at any winery. Planted in the estates garden was a planting of all major grape varietals, placed there for visitors to taste in the unprocessed true form. To further express this pursuit, the garden was planted with various herbs, fruits and flowers which show the typical flavours and aromas of these grape varieties.
We then tasted through the Kendall-Jackson range of wines, including the single vineyard estate wines. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the site specificity of these wines, as it showed variance in soil, site, and winemaking styles. Overall, this was a great exercise in sensory training and a truly worthwhile experience.
Kendall-Jackson tasting
Next we headed into the heart of the Napa Valley to Freemark Abbey and St Helena. Situated in a lush, green valley, the winery is a restored 19th Century building which is now host to a vast bevy of tasting experiences and spaces. The winery is famed for its inclusion in the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting, in which its cabernet and chardonnay won great acclaim. We were treated to a tasting of the current vintage 2020 Napa Valley chardonnay, a wine which shows exceptional restraint, structure and elegance when compared with other Napa producers. We also conducted a deeper look at the winery’s cabernet production, looking through not only their Napa Valley cabernet but also their single site expressions from the Rutherford AVA. Both the Sycamore and Bosche cabernet showed structure and acid that balanced their full-bodied fruit spectrum out into a truly elegant example well worthy of aging.
To finish the day, we travelled up the long winding road of Mt Veeder, to visit the Jackson Family vineyards of Mt Brave and Lokoya. Sitting high above the valley floor (400-550m elevation), the Mt Vedeer AVA is one of the Napa’s highest and coolest growing regions. It was truly a spectacle to look down the valley towards the valley floor, the mountain patchworked with plantings of cabernet and other red varietals. We tasted through the Mt Brave Cabernet and Merlot 2018 vintages and onto the Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. It was a truly special experience to taste these wines in the vineyard, as it gave great context to how their elegance and structure is achieved in such a warm growing region.
On our final full day, we headed to the home of La Crema at Saralee’s Vineyard. There we were fortunate enough to be hosted by Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton and Jill Russell of Cambria to briefly taste through the Family’s Santa Barbara wines. It was great to get a snapshot of this different growing region as we were unable to visit that far south this trip. To finish up, we were hosted by Riccardo from Jackson Family and tasted through the various single site expressions of the La Crema vineyards. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the difference in site and climate from the various wines, especially those from cooler regions such as Russian River against wines from Saralee and further inland.
La Crema Saralee's Vineyard
As a special treat on the morning of departure, we visited the Family’s premier estate at Verite near Healdsberg in Sonoma County. On arrival, most of the group remarked how Bordelaise the cellar door had been constructed, it was a sense of no expense spared. This was also true of their 3 wines produced, the La Muse, La Desir and La Joie. All wines are produced from high quality microcrus across Sonoma County which are selected and fermented separately by acclaimed Bordeaux Vigneron Pierre Seillan. I was taken aback by the purity and power of these wines, all showing true expression of their dominant varietal. They showed elegance and nuance that would hold them in great stead when put against the great houses of left and right bank Bordeaux. It was a great treat to finish the tour on this note, and not one I will forget soon. It's amazing to see the attention and detail that they offer one of their top estates observed in all of the brands that we visited and represent.
The tour was an incredible eye-opening experience, especially to have access behind the scenes of such iconic producers such as Freemark Abbey, Stonestreet Estate and La Crema. Each producer showed a true sense of their own style and sense of place, utilising their own sites to produce wines of purity, elegance and structure. I truly enjoyed the experience and highly recommend anyone visiting Northern California to reach out to Jackson Family for a visit to any of these great producers.
Verite tasting
09/11/2022 at 9:46 AM
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Fresh look for Whistler Wines
Located on the golden stretch of Seppeltsfield Road in the heart of the Barossa Valley, Whistler Wines was established in 1997 and is now in the hands of the 2nd generation, with Sam Pfeiffer at the helm. Whistler’s 15 hectares of vineyards operates completely under organic and biodynamic practices and all of the wines are vegan.
Here is Sam speaking to the changes for Whistler and introduction of the Crafted range:
“I wanted to create a range of wines that not only showcased the evolution of our brand, but also highlights the fact that these wines are, at their core, hand crafted, small batch, minimal intervention wines from vineyards using organic and biodynamic practices. The hands and the moon on every label symbolise our handmade, sustainable approach to wine making. Every wine then has 3 key elements that are either part of the story or connect the wine to us and our property. Dan Tomkins, a local SA artist, has individually lead pencil stippled all of the labels. The brand consistency is now very deliberate and intends to become timeless."
Fruit Tingle Frizzante
Made for those who enjoy a hint of sweetness. This spritzy frizzante has just the right amount of bubbles. It’s a fruit basket of flavour across your palate and like our resident Galahs, it’s best enjoyed with friends."
Back to Basics Skin Contact
"Fruit grown on the our estate using organic and biodynamic practices is represented by the willow tree which resides over our dam. A bit "other wordly" like Saturn, skin contact wines are growing in popularity. But they're not new. Like the ancient clay pot, this style of wine is enjoying a renaissance with progressive drinkers."
Dry as a Bone Rose
"The ‘Dry as a Bone’ Rose showcases a sun, which provides the warm temperatures to ripen our grapes and it also inspires you to drink it in warm weather, preferably outside. The cactus symbolises the fact that our grapes are grown in the driest state, on the driest continent on earth. And the bones are a nod to the original label, which created such a resonating catchcry for the wine."
Divergent SMG
"The butterfly is a symbol for transformation and this blend certainly changes year-to-year. Like an artist, our winemaker classifies our fruit each vintage designating each parcel to its best home. The triad represents the varietals, Shiraz, Mataro and Grenache that work together to produce a wonderfully balanced wine."
Atypical Shiraz
"The ‘Atypical’ Shiraz replaces the ‘Thank God It's Friday’ as we move to a more premium feel. We have always been a progressive company, and this wine is all about stepping away from the more traditional Shiraz to which the market has become accustomed. The owl connects to our property, where we have regular Tawny Frogmouth owl visitors, especially in and around our G and H Shiraz blocks. The upside-down house symbolises the fact that this is our entry level, 'house' Shiraz, but flipped on its head. Lighter, fresher and a drink now style that is an attempt at writing a new chapter in the Barossa Shiraz history book, hence the open book.”
Shiver Shiraz
"This is the eighth release of this basket pressed wine, dedicated to our loyal mailing list customers. Starting very early in the morning, our Purple Hands Crew handpick and footstomp the whole bunch component of this elegant styled Shiraz."
24/10/2022 at 11:02 AM
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New look Yangarra
Yangarra Estate Vineyard is an organic and biodynamic wine farm in the McLaren Vale region in South Australia. The Yangarra philosphy centres around producing wines solely from their single-vineyard estate, where bush-vine grenache is their keystone variety. The estate was first planted in 1946 and is home to 87ha of vines.
Yangarra Estate has a new premium label with the 2021 vintage release of the Yangarra Old Vine Grenache, GSM and the 2021 Shiraz.
The 2022 Roussanne will be the first vintage of the Roussanne under the new label.
Key features of the new labels:
- Graceful neck band to elevate premium position
- More elegant expression of the Y logo
- New sketch logo- embossed with gloss high build varnish for added luxury cue
- Blewitt Springs added to focus on the regionality and highlight the specific premium sub-region of Blewitt Springs
- Colour palette and fonts aligned to be consistent with other branding
Current label Label refresh
07/09/2022 at 11:14 AM
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New Vintage Unico Zelo
New vintage Unico Zelo wines are available in WA from the 1st of September.
2022 Truffle Hound Blend
An approachable and jovial expression of Barbera & Nebbiolo, retaining the higher aromatics, herbal savouriness for its amaro-like refreshment. This super savoury light red wine pairs perfectly with a saucy pasta or pizza, salami and mature cheese.
2021 Seafoam Pet Nat
An aromatic, lush and joyful naturally sparkling wine. It is salty and fresh, with flavours of nashi pears, green apples, white nectarine and frangipani. Super refreshing when served ice cold, or use it to elevate your next spritz.
2022 Fresh A.F.
This Nero d’Avola and Zibibbo blend is a fresh, bright and juicy wine out of The Riverland. Nero d’Avola thrives in the warm, sun-drenched spots of Australia and this wine is a perfect expression of it. Pair it with game meats or have it chilled- you won’t be disappointed.
25/08/2022 at 9:52 AM
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Henschke 2021 Julius Riesling wins Riesling of the Year at the 2023 Halliday Wine Companion Awards
Hear from Stephen Henschke, Winemaker, on the recent accolade and introduction to the new 2022 Julius and Peggy's Hill Rieslings.
04/08/2022 at 10:35 AM
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In Dreams Re-Imagined with Anthony Fikkers
Anthony Fikkers of In Dreams belongs to an exciting new generation of winemakers who believe a hands-off approach from vineyard to bottle results in wines brimming with personality and authenticity. Here, the fruit takes centre stage, and the resulting wines are unadulterated, expressive reflections of time and place.
Anthony has been based in the Yarra for some 13 years, pursuing his passion for cool-climate winemaking. During this time he has worked for a swag of prominent wineries including Giant Steps, Mac Forbes and Medhurst, while working vintages in Burgundy, Piedmont and Baden in-between.
This year marks the 10th vintage for In Dreams at Mezzanine The Fine Wine Specialist, and we are delighted re-launch the 2021 vintage with an exciting new look and feel.
Assistant Brand Manager Hayley O'Heare chats with Anthony, discussing all things In Dreams and Yarra Valley.
HO: How would you describe the local winemaking community in the Yarra Valley?
AF: Talented. As you would expect from Australia’s best wine region. As the Yarra doesn’t have the history of some other regions, there’s not generations of winemakers. Rather, winemakers are drawn here by the opportunity to make great cool climate wines. There are constantly young and talented people arriving in the Yarra.
HO: What is it that you look to achieve when you’re making the In Dreams wines?
AF:Clarity of fruit, crisp acid, aromatics.
HO: Which of your past experiences taught you the most about cool-climate winemaking?
AF: Making my own wines (under the Fikkers label) from the Upper Yarra. It’s only when you control the entire process that you really get a feel for what each vineyard can deliver as you’re involved from growing the fruit all the way through to bottle. Working across multiple sites in the Upper Yarra with Mac Forbes and Giant Steps was a pretty good help too.
HO: What is your philosophy when it comes to winemaking?
AF: Let the vineyard expression shine through in the glass. I achieve this by not manipulating the fruit too much, I prefer to guide it along its own path. It starts with the picking time of the grapes (not too ripe, not too green) and flows through to ferment techniques (not too cold, not too hot, not too many bunches in the Pinot) and maturation (for the love of God, not too much oak!)
HO: What’s next for In Dreams?
AF: Plant our own vineyard in Yarra Junction in the Upper Yarra Valley. We plan to use the best combos of clones and rootstock to plant a great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard. There may be a couple of alternative varietals in the mix too…
IN DREAMS CHARDONNAY 2021
93 points | Campbell Mattinson | The Wine Front
“Yarra Valley Chablis, if you like. Or that kind of style, anyway. Sweet pear, juicy green and red apple, nectarine, an element of honeysuckle and a light clip of cedarwood. Textbook in its loveliness. There’s an aspect of tart acidity here but it works in context and anyways, in time, the wine as a whole will shine all the more.”
92 points | Campbell Mattinson | The Wine Front
“It gets the balance right between elegance/finesse and having enough flesh to satisfy. It just feels right. Strawberry and stewed cherry flavours with sweet spice, woodsmoke and (modest) deli meat. It’s lifted and perfumed, especially once it’s had a chance to breathe, and its fine-grained tannin too has been managed to perfection ... so it sucks you straight in but it then has the structure and form to impress beyond the immediate. I’m scoring it 92, I could easily be 93, but my main ‘score’ is to recommend that at $32 this is a definite ‘buy’."
08/06/2022 at 2:33 PM
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