By John Rozentals.
Heather Fraser: “It truly makes you aware of the environment within the vineyard.”
Hardly anyone in the industry was interested in organic grapegrowing when I started making wine in the 1980s, but that isn’t the case now, and drinkers are taking much more care about what they put into their mouths.
Yalumba Organics is a collection of wines that embody the principals of organic farming and winemaking.
There were just a handful of Australian winemakers harnessing the allure of organic wine when the company’s historic Barossa winery was first certified for organic wine production in 2005.
Each wine in the range — chardonnay, pinot grigio, viognier and shiraz — is made from certified organic vineyards in South Australia cared for by family growers who own, protect and nurture each vine with hands-on, but minimal, interference.
Once harvested, the organic certification and preservation of the fruit is then passed into the care of Yalumba organic winemaker, Heather Fraser.
She sums up well the making of these wines: “Working with the growers on vineyards that are free of pesticides and herbicides means there is often plenty to see with the natural insect and spider populations in full force along with native grasses.
“It truly makes you aware of the environment within the vineyard.
“Taking these grapes and turning them into wine via the natural vineyard yeasts and minimal winemaking intervention, allows for the flavours of the vineyards and the passion of our growers hard work to show through in our wines.”
Perhaps wisely though, Heather leaves the final summation to the Head of Yalumba’s winemaking team, Louisa Rose:
“We believe the art of great winemaking is knowing when to let go, and to allow Mother Nature to run her course.
“We make our wines to have texture, interest and balance, and to be a bit edgy.
“We want to excite and challenge the drinker, evolve with them and take them on a journey with every glass.”
WINE REVIEWS
Yalumba 2018 Organic Chardonnay ($22): As with most of Yalumba’s Organic collection, this dry white is made for grapes grown on certified organic vineyards managed by the Carypidis and Barich families, and Kate Strachan. It shows lovely peachy, buttery flavours without being at all over-the-top like Riverland chardonnays used to be.
Yalumba 2018 Organic Shiraz ($22): Add the Palena family, of Barmera, into the mix of growers responsible for this simple, well-made, medium-bodied dry red which shows plenty of smooth spicy, dark-berry flavours. Like the growers would probably do, take this one to a classy pizza joint and use it to wash down a classic Italian-style pizza. Believe me, you won’t go wrong.
WINE OF THE WEEK
Yalumba 2018 Organic Viognier ($22): Heather Fraser has Louisa Rose, Australia’s doyen of viognier makers, walking alongside her, so it’s hardly surprising that I’ve given it the collection’s top billing. I normally don’t like whites made from straight viognier because I find them too perfumed, but the Fraser/Rose team has avoided that trap, and produced a delightful silky-smooth dry white fruit flavours mainly in citrus spectrum but with an added dash of spices as well.
