Uncorked: A walk on the wild side

Uncorked

Wine reviews by Gill Gordon-Smith IWE

A walk on the wild side

With summer approaching and the Fleurieu vintage creeping upon us quickly, it seems timely to look at a few of the diverse grapes, styles, and winemaking options in our beautiful region. This edition we decided to take a walk on the wilder side of whites, exploring white wines made using ‘wild’ or indigenous yeast that naturally occurs on the berries and in the vineyard, rather than packaged yeast. Both ferment the grape sugars to produce alcohol and importantly, both can produce excellent wines.

But going wild can be a riskier choice, as the winemaker may have less control over the process. With risk often comes reward and more producers are looking for the unique characters, flavours and textures that can be created through fermenting naturally. For the four wineries featured, the gamble has more than paid off with these exceptional and delicious wines.

Watkins Family Wine

Watkins 2020 Currency Creek Wild Sauvignon Blanc Bright, fresh, textural, summer in a glass This is not your average savvy-B and it’s so refreshing to see a deliciously different take. The Watkins brothers are taking this Fleurieu family grape-growing and winemaking business to new heights with a fantastic cellar door complex at the Chandlers Hill winery and some seriously good wines at very affordable prices. Sam is a talented and creative winemaker with global experience and Ben is the business brain. The family has an arsenal of vineyards to select from and the wines range from the traditional to the alternative. This wine is packed with bright passionfruit, sweet citrus and stone fruit flavours. It has a chalky, lemon pith texture and a long-lasting, tangy finish. Delicious and moreish – bring on summer!

Varney Wines

2019 Chardonnay Classy, fresh, textural, mouth-filling Varney Wines was recently announced as the best new winery of the year by the 2021 Halliday guide and deservedly so. Winemaker Alan works with a range of grapes from the classic to the upcoming. I love good chardonnay and it’s been wonderful to see more winemakers showing the different faces of a classic grape, utilising lees, older oak and fermenting with wild yeast, bringing some lovely texture and mouthfeel to the wine. White stone fruit, white peach and just-ripe nectarine, a bright citrus splash of acidity with lemon pepper spice, chalky texture and a subtle, honeyed cashew note. It has a long, elegant finish and shows a beautiful balance between fruit and structure. All class.

Ministry of Clouds

2020 Picpoul Refreshing, floral, citrusy, crunchy, textural A deliciously aromatic and vibrant variety that hails from the sunny south of France where it’s traditionally matched with plump, salty oysters. Winemakers Bernice Ong and Julian Forwood have excellent taste and well-travelled palates. They have made a delicious, vibrant and textural Aussie version from their McLaren Vale ‘The Chase’ vineyard. Lifted aromas of lime, florals, ripe granny smith apples and juicy nectarines jump out of the glass. Salty lemon and grapefruit pith along with sweet apple, a gorgeous fleshy mouthfeel and crisp, tangy acidity make this a wonderful drink for sunny days and warm nights. Like an imaginary cross between riesling and pinot gris.

Bondar Wines

2020 Fiano Bright, aromatic, fleshy, textural, layered Bondar Wines are multi-award winning producers and form part of the newest cellar door on McMurtrie Road. Andre and Selina make deliciously different wines from both classic and alternate varieties and their fiano is one of the best expressions in the region. This Southern Italian white grows beautifully on the Fleurieu and can age very well. Bondar’s version has an aromatic nose and textural mouthfeel full of white blossom, citrus, pear, green apple, melon and a subtle spice and nuttiness. A little skin contact, wild yeast, lees and ageing in older oak barrels gives it a creamy, mouth-filling, intensely flavoured, long, tangy finish. Mouth-watering and delicious.