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.
2022 Releases
2022 Chardonnay
Fruit taken from four blocks across two exceptional Chardonnay vineyards all wild fermented in a variety of vessels and blended together to form this tight and complex wine with characters of citrus, blossoms, white fleshed stone fruit and flint among others.
Vineyards: Crystal Brook Vineyard in Mount Barker (94%) and Estate 807 Vineyard in Denmark (6%)
Sub-region: Mount Barker – Great Southern
Denmark – Great Southern
Vine Age: 25 to 35 years
Elevation: 50 - 250m
Soils: Sandy, gravelly loams at Crystal Brook and heavy clay karri loams of Estate 807 in Denmark
Farming: Organic (not certified)
Vinification: Parcels of Chardonnay were hand harvested and direct pressed to a combination of mature oak barriques, newer large format oak, stainless steel and concrete. Wine spent a short maturation period on full solids before racking and bottling.
Alc: 12.5%
pH: 3.28
TA: 7.0
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 13 December 2022
"Two separate vineyards including an older Plantagenet one. From one of the stars of Great Southern’s avant garde sect of winemakers.
Lively and fresh expression, quite a bit of quinine and lemon juice in this one, a bit botanical too and generally chewy, chalky and with puckering freshness in tow. Live one! It’s an edgy and delicious expression."
90 Points
2022 Drinking Wine RED
A bright and smashable fridge red fashioned from Syrah, Malbec and Pinot Noir. Playful flavours of cherries, red liquorice and cream soda are balanced by natural acidity.
Vineyards: Lecco Vineyard (Syrah), Fox River Vineyard (Syrah) and Crystal Brook Vineyard (Pinot Noir) in Mount Barker and L’enclos du Tertre Vineyard (Malbec) in Frankland
Sub-region: Mount Barker – Great Southern
Frankland – Great Southern
Vine Age: 22 to 30 years
Elevation: 200 - 250m
Soils: Sand and gravel loams of decomposed granite
Farming: Organic (not certified)
Vinification: Syrah and Pinot Noir are harvested early to retain acid and freshness. Grapes are direct pressed to stainless steel tanks where they undergo spontaneous fermentation. After harvesting the Malbec, the skins are retained and the Syrah and Pinot wines are steeped on the Malbec skins. There is a short period of maturation in stainless steel before bottling.
Alc: 12.5%
pH: 3.56
TA: 5.8
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 13 December 2022
"Syrah mostly here, direct pressed and then steeped on malbec skins. For gluttonous drinking and noisy slurping. Drink with a chill too, if it pleases.
Crunchy, sour red berry orientated red of deliciousness and easy drinking nature. Super fresh! Vibrant! Thirst-quenching! Easy drinking and crisp. Great energy and fine detail to boot. Fantastic times."
91 Points
2022 Grapefields Pink
Grapefields dark pink, not to be confused with grapefields light red, is made from skin contact Sauvignon Blanc and a small helping of Pinot Noir. Characters of Guava and Grapefruit abound, along with a herbal undercurrent.
Vineyards: Lecco Vineyard (Sauvignon Blanc 90%) in Mount Barker and Crystal Brook (Pinot Noir 10%) in Mount Barker
Sub-region: Mount Barker – Great Southern
Vine Age: 25 to 35 years
Elevation: 200 - 250m
Soils: Sand and Gravel loams of decomposed granite.
Farming: Organic (not certified)
Vinification: Both varieties were destemmed and left on skins for spontaneous fermentation for 7 days before being pressed to stainless steel, before blending and bottling.
Alc: 12.0%
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 13 December 2022
"Sauvignon blanc and pinot noir in an unholy alliance. About 90% to 10%. White direct pressed, red on skins for a week or so. Rose-ish vibes.
Guava juice! Bouncy and fresh. Tropical and so refreshing. It’s wildly energetic and so vigorously fresh. This squeakiness in it all, a chalky pucker to finish. So delicious! Out of the box for wine in a way, but just unreal drinking."
90 Points
2022 Grapefields Red
Pinot Noir fermented in a variety of ways in a variety of different vessels. A short amount of maceration on skins being the common theme. Maraschino cherries, pomegranate, red currants and boiled lollies.
Vineyards: Estate 807 in Denmark, Toolbrunup Vineyard in Porongurup and Crystal Brook Vineyard in Mount Barker.
Sub-region: Denmark – Great Southern
Porongurup –Great Southern
Mount Barker – Great Southern
Vine Age: 22 to 35 years
Elevation: 50 - 350m
Soils: Karri Clay Loams in Denmark and Sand and Gravel loams of decomposed granite of Porongurup and Mount Barker
Farming: Organic (not certified)
Alc: 12.0%
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 13 December 2022
"Pinot noir, mainly, kinda rose, kinda carbonic maceration, makes a lighter style of red. From a grapefield too.
Juicy, crisp-edged and high pitched. Very refreshing and thirst-quenching. Lovely, fresh red cherry juice and pomegranate juice characters, a touch of bergamot tea and a squeeze of blood orange for tang. Drinks beautifully and fine. Chilled too."
92 Points
2022 Grapefields White
Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grown in vineyards we farm ourselves. The mild flor character compliments the natural characters of the fruit with almond, pear, lemon and white balsamic all present.
Vineyards: L’enclos du Tertre (Semillon 40%) and Estate 807 Vineyard in Denmark (Sauvignon Blanc 30% and Chardonnay 30%)
Sub-region: Mount Barker – Great Southern
Denmark – Great Southern
Vine Age: 25 to 42 years
Elevation: 50 - 230m
Soils: Gravelly loams at L’enclos du Terte and heavy clay karri loams of Estate 807 in Denmark.
Farming: Organic (not certified)
Vinification: All parcels for this wine were direct pressed to a variety of vessels where they fermented spontaneously and were intentionally left untopped post ferment to form a flor and create a sous voile style wine.
Alc: 12.0%
pH: 3.25
TA: 7.2
2022 L’orange
From a small organic vineyard in the vast Frankland subregion of the Great Southern. Predominantly Riesling (80%), with the balance Semillon (15%) and the remaining 5% skin contact Chenin and Sauvignon blanc from other vineyards. Distinctive characters of white blossoms, orange and lemon juice with chalky tannin.
Vineyard: L’enclos du Tertre
Sub-region: Frankland – Great Southern
Vine Age: 42 years
Elevation: 230m
Aspect: South
Soils: Granitic sandy gravel over ferricrete
Farming: Organic (not certified)
Vinification: Hand picked, partially destemmed to open fermenters, with a portion (20%) foot stomped. All parcels fermented on skins by spontaneous yeast and pressed after 6 – 8 days. Maturation in a combination of stainless steel, concrete and mature oak.
Alc: 11.8%
pH: 3.46
TA: 5.9
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 13 December 2022
"Riesling from Frankland River. Six days on skins. Then 15% semillon. Maths.
Zesty, tart and very refreshing. Electric and sour-leaning with citrus, pineapple and green herb characters in spades. A crunch of green apple too, a chalky, puckering finish. Yew!"
90 Points
(Image: Ryan O'Meara - Express Winemakers)