Express Winemakers
(Image: Ryan O’Meara - Express Winemakers / www.expresswinemakers.com)

 

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." - Express Winemakers

Vineyards

"Our philosophy in the vineyard is simple, rather than pushing the vineyard to unsustainable yields, we are trying to achieve a natural balance. We do this by not spraying systemic fungicides, pesticides or herbicides, not fertilising with mineral fertilisers and reducing, in some cases, eliminating irrigation. Our vineyards generally achieve a balance within a couple of seasons, the vines and fruit are healthier, with much improved disease resistance, albeit with a reduced yield of flavoursome naturally farmed grapes." - Express Winemakers

TRAPPERS GULLY

We developed a taste for the Chenin from this vineyard before we were forced to farm the vineyard ourselves or face the vines being ripped out. This was our first foray into vineyard management as well as organic farming.  That was in 2016 and we are still farming this little plot of Chenin along with Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc in the Western reaches of Mount Barker today.

Sub region - Mount Barker
Planted - 1996
Elevation - 200m
Soils - Granitic Sands over ironstone

MILLINUP

A tiny one acre outcrop of Riesling atop of the Porongurup range. Planted by hippies in the 1970s, we have had to bring it back to life after bushfire and grazing by feral sheep.

Sub region - Porongurup
Planted - 1977
Elevation - 350m
Soils - Granitic Gravel Loam

CRYSTAL BROOK

Planted by Plantagenet Wines in the late 80s on a well drained North facing slope just south of Mount Barker. The vineyard recently changed hands and is now home to a number of bovine, whom we try to keep well clear of the vines. Much of the vineyard has already made way for pasture, the remaining blocks are planted to Chardonnay along with three clones of Pinot Noir.

Sub region - Mount Barker
Planted - 1988
Elevation - 150m
Soils - Sandy Gravel Loam

TOOLBRUNUP

A little slice on the Northern slopes of Porongurup  with epic views of the Stirling Ranges. Planted to Riesling, three clones of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Sub region - Porongurup
Planted - 2000
Elevation - 300m
Soils - Granitic Gravel Loam

POACHERS RIDGE

A vineyard planted to a number of varieties on the Narrikup Ridge, just south of Mount Barker. We are still in the early stages of understanding this vineyard having only taken the reins in 2022.

Sub region - Mount Barker
Planted - 1999
Elevation - 150m
Soils - Gravel Loama

ESTATE 807

This vineyard certainly gets that extra bit of attention, being much closer to home. We were told that growing grapes down this way wasn’t easy, with cool summers, humidity and constant threat of rain leading up to and during harvest. I’m not sure whether to put it down to good organic vineyard management or pot luck, but so far, so good. In the ground here we have three clones of Chardonnay, four clones of Pinot Noir as well as Sauvignon Blanc.

Sub region - Denmark
Planted - 2000
Elevation - 50m
Soils - Deep Karri Clay Loam

New Single Vineyard releases

 

2022 Frankland Riesling

The fruit for this wine was sourced from l'Enclos du Tertre (formerly Bobtail Ridge). It’s a very well regarded site with soils of granitic gravel loams over ferricrete. Hand-picked fruit was destemmed and left on skins before being pressed to ceramic vessels for fermentation. The wine matured for eight months in ceramic, sous voile (under flor) before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

 

2022 Mt Barker Riesling

Fruit for the Mount Barker Riesling was hand-picked from the Merrebee Vineyard where the soils are granitic sand over ironstone. The fruit was destemmed and direct pressed to a combination of stainless steel and mature oak barriques for natural fermentation. The wine rested for 10 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

 

2022 Porongorup Riesling

The Porongurup Riesling is sourced from two vineyards; Toolbrunup and Millinup. Both parcels were destemmed and direct pressed to tank before being transferred to oak for wild fermentation. The wine matured for 11 months in a combination of mature oak barriques and ceramic before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

 

2022 Mt Barker Chardonnay

This is sourced from the Crystal Brook Vineyard, a site with soils of sandy gravel loam. The fruit was hand-picked, destemmed and direct pressed to tank before being transferred to mature French oak barriques and a three-year-old German foudre with full solids for fermentation. Bâtonnage occurred twice a week for three weeks post-fermentation. It rested in vessel for 11 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

 

2022 Denmark Chardonnay

The Estate 807 Vineyard in Denmark is leased by Ryan and its soils are deep, karri clay loam. The fruit was hand-picked, destemmed and pressed directly to tank before being transferred to old barriques on full solids for natural fermentation. Bâtonnage occurred twice a week for three weeks post-fermentation. It rested in vessel for 10 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

 

2022 Mt Barker Chenin

This is an Express Winemakers classic and Ryan has worked with this site since the beginning. The vineyard in question is Trappers Gully, a site with soils of granitic sand over ironstone. The fruit was destemmed and pressed directly to mature oak barriques and puncheons for wild fermentation. It rested for 11 months with no bâtonnage before being bottled unfiltered and unfined.

 

(Image: Ryan O’Meara - Express Winemakers / www.expresswinemakers.com)

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