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Express Winemakers Autumn Releases
About
Express Winemakers are about producing wines that are uniquely expressive of their origins. We currently lease and manage four small vineyards in the Mount Barker and Porongurup sub-regions of Western Australia’s Great Southern. We feel that the cool climate and ancient decomposed granite soils of the Great Southern lends itself to low yielding vines producing high quality fruit, which is necessary to make expressive minimal intervention wines.
We farm our vineyards using organic practices eschewing the use of synthetic chemicals. We don’t irrigate our vineyards forcing the vines to send roots deep into the sub-soil. Our fruit is all hand harvested and crushed by foot, commonly employing whole bunches including the stalks. Both primary and malo-lactic fermentation occur spontaneously with native yeast and bacteria. Movement of the wine is kept to a minimum and no fining or filtration is used. We believe that these practices as well as being better for the environment, help create delicious wines that express a sense of place.
Tasting Notes
2021 Chenin
From our organically farmed and dry grown, Trappers Gully Vineyard in Mount Barker. The grapes were basket pressed to old oak barriques and puncheons where they fermented wild on full solids. The wine is a little richer than some years gone by, either due to a heat spike during harvest or some dodgy grape maturity sampling. However it has opened my eyes to a world of flavour in riper Chenin blanc. The palate is luscious with stone fruit, melon and honeyed notes as well as having oyster shell qualities. It is a credit to the variety and the long growing season of the Great Southern that it can hang onto this minerality.
2021 Riesling
With the growing number of vineyards that we’re leasing or consulting to and converting to organic farming, the 2021 Great Southern Riesling is made from grapes from four of the region’s five sub-regions, namely Porongurup, Mount Barker, Frankland and Albany (would be a lot easier if there was a Denmark vineyard in there, seeing as that’s where I live). All fruit was destemmed and pressed soon thereafter to a combination of Stainless steel, mature oak and ceramic and fermented by wild yeast. The wine is a bit more vineyard dominant and a little less edgy than some previous iterations. It does a good job at showcasing what the Riesling in the region can do with crisp acidity and a myriad of different citrus flavours done in a low tech way.
2021 Pinot Noir
Our 2021 Pinot is taken from a 20 year-old vineyard that we lease high in the Porongurup range in the Great Southern. It is a blend of clones 114 and 115 that were destemmed (80%) and fermented wild before being pressed to a combination of old oak barriques and newer puncheons. The palate is light and loose, all strawberries without the jam as well as other red fruits including cherries, with just enough permanent marker to keep things interesting as well as some white pepper stalky vibes.
2021 Foamo
Organically grown Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir bottled before fermentation was finished to provide some fizz. Tastes like ruby grapefruit, watermelon and fruit tingles.
2021 Drinking Wine (White)
Blending on the fly and trying to recreate the magic of the first white drinking wine, the final blend was roughly 55% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon. All organically farmed by us across our collection of Great Southern Vineyards and fermented by wild yeast at ambient temperatures, mostly in mature oak vessels of various sizes. The flavours are of lemon curd with big yoghurty vibes, generous weight and banging acid.
2021 Rose
Our 2021 Rose had a bit of a shake up to include some Pinot Noir from our Great Southern vineyards along with the familiar Grenache and Mourvedre from an organically farmed Margaret River vineyard. The wine is all forest floor characters of red berries and autumn leaves with a savoury af finish.
2021 Drinking Wine (Red)
Made using our house proprietary method, this year it included a bunch of Syrah from our neighbours organic vineyard, along with Malbec, Grenache and Mourvedre. Always with those jubey wine gum feels and an acid line to carry it. An effortlessly smooth and thirst quenching red beverage.
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Winefront reviews by Mike Bennie
Posted on 11 & 12 September 2021
Express Winemakers Rose 2021
'Express Winemakers seems to nail the brief on so many wine styles, au naturale, but with clean lines and heaps of interest.
Strawberry, cranberry, pomegranate – red berries! Light and dry, faintly savoury, juicy but with a clip of cool acidity. Fresh, squeaky textured, zesty and with a light, Campari-like twist to finish. Zippy rose. Good gear.'
Rated: 90 Points
Express Winemakers Grapefields 2021
'A blend of stuff, hang that, drinks as per a more structured rose or a light, chillable (do it!) red.
Raspberry, cherry cola, floral characters, super fresh, bright, zesty and clean with a light click of tannins to close. Not changing the world but with a heap of purity and vibrancy on its side. Really delightful. So into these styles.'
Rated: 90 Points
Express Winemakers Foamo 2021
'Fear of missing out on pet nat.
Mandarin juice, tropical Berocca, bright and really good with its fizz. Zippy, crunchy, slightly chalky, dried mixed peel. Yum. Very delicious, quietly complex, serious in its intent and delivers a lot of party time good times too. This is a cracker.'
Rated: 92 Points
Express Winemakers White Drinking Wine 2021
'Does what the bottle says. Ideal, really. None of that ‘Premium’ or ‘Reserve’ crap.
Lemon juice, tonic water, sea spray. Light and yet distinctly textural, super saline, thirst quenching, limey but minerally but lightly savoury. Oh yes, yes! Not overly complex, but distinctly pleasurable, tense, lacy and taut. Wonderful drinking. Everything I want in a summery white for the bucks.'
Rated: 92 Points
Express Winemakers l’Orange 2021
'l’Orange gets around the label integrity stuff that makes Orange region of New South Wales huffy. Onya, Express Winemakers.
Slurpy orange wine, very refreshing, strongly mandarin focused with excellent ribbons of dry, powdery tannin lending shape and a click and pucker. Lighter than expected but delivers good intensity and yet holds its thirst quenching nature nicely. Frisky thing. Go in!'
Rated: 91 Points
Express Winemakers Red Drinking Wine 2021
'Do the drinking wine.
Cherry cola, kirsch, floral notes, rose petals, green herb. Delightful perfume. Squirts into the palate with cola and cherry and rose water vibes, mighty gluggable, rips along with refreshing acidity, finishes tart and light and dry. Bravo.'
Rated: 92 Points
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