One of the most enjoyable times in the winemaking process is the final blending. We’re right in the middle of that time now with all the 2015 Shiraz being removed from barrel and blended to their final destination wines over the next few weeks.
The reason this process is so enjoyable? Well, many may think it’s down to the frequent tasting of individual barrels, up to 70 a day! Certainly that’s good fun and a great opportunity to recap on the tastings throughout the year to see how the oak is finally marrying with the fruit on numerous parcels. But the real joy of the process is the magic of blending. Tinkering about with different combinations of barrels then 2% of this parcel or 1% of that parcel I’m always amazed by the surprising positive and negative effects that come about. I may have a couple of parcels that I love and think they would look great together – sometimes it works beautifully as planned but sometimes it just falls flat. Equally, a quick blend that may be a bit of a ‘hit and hope’ turns out to absolutely sing and suddenly everything’s easy!
I guess this is where the science of winemaking gives way to the craft. It’s not maths at this stage, 2+2 could equal 3 or it could equal 7, it’s a slow and deliberate process of trials (and errors!) with the hope of a beautiful end result.
Cheers, Alex
Blog
We’ve had some good success with our wines at various shows over the years and it’s always nice to receive accolades. With some wines though it’s particularly rewarding. One example is our 2013 Limited Release Lynedoch which has recently won the Top 100/Blue Gold award at the Sydney International Wine Competition.
The reason I’m so pleased about this is twofold; firstly, this competition is judged with food, so the judges taste all the wines entered and the top 20% are taken to the next stage where they are judged alongside food. This is a big logistical job but what a great idea to ascertain the quality of a wine in its appropriate setting! The second reason this award is so pleasing is that it shows the rewards of patience! As our top Bordeaux blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot) this wine is a pretty serious one and needs time in bottle to develop and show its true potential, it’s just starting to hit it’s straps now and we’re pleased to see that development being recognised.
I spent 10 years living in Sydney and it’s always nice to go back for a visit to such a beautiful and vibrant city. I was there recently for a sales trip to meet with our distributors and some independent bottle shops and on-premise customers. I have to say the trip was a huge success, we had some great feedback on the wines and managed to make some nice sales but equally important for me was the chance to meet some incredible people – all wine nuts, passionate about the products they sell. These guys know what they like, they know what their customers will like and they’re not afraid to let suppliers like us know about it! That sort of honesty, intelligence and passion is always a good thing in this game! Luckily, they all liked Hemera Estate!
So for those of you in Sydney or anywhere in this great land, please support your local independent bottle shop, chances are they’ll get to know your tastes and be a source of great new discoveries over time. Don’t be afraid to ask them to stock Hemera Estate if they don’t already do so either – they need customer feedback and they enjoy new discoveries too!
Cheers, Alex
