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GRAPE ESCAPE
NEWS FROM THE VINES
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ALEX CASSEGRAIN From Cassegrain Wines
There is always a lot of discussion about Chardonnay and the first thing that is mentioned is typically about oak. It is a variety that has lot of versatility and when it comes to making a Chardonnay the decision to add complexity with the use of oak barrels becomes front of mind for the winemakers.
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ontrary to what people may believe, it is not just a matter of putting the wine into oak barrels and hoping for the best. There is a lot more thought put into this decision before the grapes get to the winery. For example, the type of oak – where is it sourced from, how heavily toasted the inside is, what length of time will the wine spend in the barrel, and what size barrel. With sizes being anywhere between 225L to 5000L plus there are a lot of choices available. However, on the other side do you keep a portion (or all of it) in stainless-steel tanks? Thus meaning ‘unoaked’. For me the decision is purely based on the fruit that we pick. You will hear many winemakers talk about ‘Terroir’ and this is all do with the specifics of where each block of fruit comes from, giving each batch its unique
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characteristics. It is very easy to over-oak a wine, and frustratingly easy to under-oak a wine at the same time. Our 2019 Reserve Fromenteau Chardonnay just picked up two trophies for Champion Wine and Best White Wine at the Cairns Wine Show, and recently has also received 5-Stars and Top of Category Award from The Real Review. The wine was made using handpicked and carefully selected grapes sourced from Tumbarumba, a region which is arguably the best for Chardonnay in New South Wales, if not Australia (not just our opinion). Gently pressed, and allowed to settle overnight, the wine was racked and transferred into brand new 500L French barrels where it stayed for 8 months before being bottled. Whilst this wine will age gracefully, it is drinking stunningly well right now.
