Winery of the year
Balnaves of Coonawarra
I'm not too sure that creating this accolade was a good idea; after all, there are over 2400 wineries in Australia, and 370 received a 5-star rating. But which is the best? How many criteria should be used? How do you split dead heats even if you use some complex algebraic formula designed to weigh up all the relevant inputs? My agonising over the choice did lead to one new feature: recognising that some 5-star wineries have a far longer track record of excellence than others. So, for the first time, what I might term 'the classic 5-star wineries' have their stars printed in red.
I'm not too sure that creating this accolade was a good idea; after all, there are over 2400 wineries in Australia, and 370 received a 5-star rating. But which is the best? How many criteria should be used? How do you split dead heats even if you use some complex algebraic formula designed to weigh up all the relevant inputs? My agonising over the choice did lead to one new feature: recognising that some 5-star wineries have a far longer track record of excellence than others. So, for the first time, what I might term 'the classic 5-star wineries' have their stars printed in red.
That achieved, I have chosen Balnaves of Coonawarra as
winery of the year. It achieved a perfect score of 6 outstanding table wines
(out of a field of 6); only a Sparkling Cabernet (not technically a table wine,
which is a 'still' table wine) rated a mere '4.5 glasses - highly recommended'.
The starting point is the 52 ha of vineyards dating back to 1975, when Doug Balnaves realised there might be a dollar or two to be made from selling grapes. After a while, he decided he should have some wine made, and that sold readily enough. But it was the recruitment of Pete Bissell from Wynns Coonawarra Estate in mid-1995 that was the turning point. He persuaded Doug to reduce the yield in the blocks designated for the Balnaves wines, and neither has looked back since.
Great wine does not descend inexplicably and arbitrarily from the sky, like a liquid deus ex machina. Its birthplace is in the terroir of the vineyard, but it has to be treated with ultimate care and respect in the winery. It is a protracted process from fermentation to barrel and to bottle, with literally dozens of key decisions along the way: lengthy books are written about the fundamentals of winemaking, without any consideration of the birthplace of the grapes.
The starting point is the 52 ha of vineyards dating back to 1975, when Doug Balnaves realised there might be a dollar or two to be made from selling grapes. After a while, he decided he should have some wine made, and that sold readily enough. But it was the recruitment of Pete Bissell from Wynns Coonawarra Estate in mid-1995 that was the turning point. He persuaded Doug to reduce the yield in the blocks designated for the Balnaves wines, and neither has looked back since.
Great wine does not descend inexplicably and arbitrarily from the sky, like a liquid deus ex machina. Its birthplace is in the terroir of the vineyard, but it has to be treated with ultimate care and respect in the winery. It is a protracted process from fermentation to barrel and to bottle, with literally dozens of key decisions along the way: lengthy books are written about the fundamentals of winemaking, without any consideration of the birthplace of the grapes.
The skills of Pete Bissell were recognised in 2005 when he
was acknowledged as Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine Winemaker of the Year, but
those skills had long been in place. They say that owners look like their dogs;
the quietly spoken, softly smiled, but utterly dedicated Bissell could not help
but make wines in the style he does. They are always beautifully balanced and
harmonious, the complexity and power there, but encased in the figurative
velvet glove. Young or old they beg you to have a second glass, and you don't
want to share a bottle with too many others.
While his mastery of red wines across the varietal range is that which gains attention, he is also the foremost maker of chardonnay in Coonawarra, winning successive trophies at the Limestone Coast Wine Show for this wine.
It so happens that 2005 has turned out to be a very good vintage in Coonawarra (and elsewhere) so you should not hesitate to buy these immaculately crafted wines.
While his mastery of red wines across the varietal range is that which gains attention, he is also the foremost maker of chardonnay in Coonawarra, winning successive trophies at the Limestone Coast Wine Show for this wine.
It so happens that 2005 has turned out to be a very good vintage in Coonawarra (and elsewhere) so you should not hesitate to buy these immaculately crafted wines.
