Price:
$18.99
BACKGROUND: The grapes are exclusively sourced from the Bellarmine vineyard in the high quality cool climate region of Pemberton in South-Western Australia. The vineyard is at an altitude of 220 metres above sea level. Planted in 2000 by hand, the vines are trained to Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) to give optimum exposure of the fruit to sunshine during the ripening season which occurs from December to March. The soils are red gravel laterite soils which provide excellent drainage and give warmth to the vines' root systems at night from the sunshine the red gravel has absorbed during the daylight hours. This results in the Chardonnay being ready for harvest in late February to mid-March before too much rain comes in as Autumn progresses.
THE WINEMAKING: Harvested in the cool of the night at optimum flavour levels as determined by the winemaker regularly tasting the grapes, the fruit is treated delicately to preserve the aromas and flavours. The juice gently pressed off the skins is separated from the harder pressings fraction so that the pressings juice can be fined prior to re-combining with the free run portion for fermentation. The juices are both cold settled for 48 hours then the clear juices are racked to a new tank away from the solids ("lees") and this is innoculated with a yeast. After a few days, a portion is transferred to oak for fermentation, with the remainder being fermented in tank. The fermentation is carefully temperature controlled to achieve a gradual drop in sugar levels and to retain the maximum flavours possible. Once both portions have completed fermentation, the wines are stirred on yeast lees ('batonage') to give some extra complexity and a touch of creaminess to the wine.
When German doctor Dr Willi Schumacher and his wife Gudrun began searching the world for a place outside Germany to establish a vineyard, they could have had no idea they would end up choosing a site in the Pemberton region of Western Australia. It is a beautiful part of the country, with massive eucalypts attesting to the generous rainfall and usually fertile and well-drained soil. But even by Australian standards, it is a long way from anywhere, and the amount of wine/lifestyle tourism is low. That said, the Schumachers have no reason to doubt their decision to choose Pemberton, and more specifically, to choose the site for their 20-hectare vineyard. It is situated on a ridge of gravelly, lateritic soil, and the excess vigour that makes life difficult for some vineyards in the region is not a problem.
Right from the outset I have been an unabashed admirer of the ever-elegant style of the Bellarmine wines, led by its rieslings. Originally there were two: Riesling and Riesling Dry, but in 2006, at the request of the Schumachers, a Riesling Auslese was added. .....All three are sent back (with screwcaps) – exported doesn’t seem quite the right word – to Germany and sold there by the Schumachers. Herein lies an explanation for the exceptional value the wines offer. The reluctance of the German market to pay a reasonable amount for high-quality riesling has led many German winemakers to export much of their production.
I recently attended a vertical tasting of the Bellarmine rieslings, chardonnays and shirazes. The rieslings may be the flagbearers, but the chardonnays and shirazes are also impressive. The chardonnays are equally elegant, but the shirazes may yet be the best of all. Deeply coloured, wonderfully fragrant, they are archetypal cool-climate styles and intensely flavoured. Black fruits, spice, pepper and a touch of licorice do the talking, and will do so for decades to come. James Halliday
Bellarmine Wines produces a range of individual wines made from grapes grown on its picturesque estate in the cool climate region of Pemberton, Western Australia. The vineyard was planted in 2000 and is owned by German doctor, Dr Willi Schumacher and his wife Gudrun Schumacher. The Schumachers are passionate about great wine and searched the world for a place to plant vines before they chose what has become the Bellarmine property. Bellarmine vineyard is 20 hectares in size. Varieties planted include Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The vines sit on an elevated site 220 metres above sea level. Sand dunes located on the south coast about 50km away can be seen from the vineyard. Soils are gravel laterite. Irrigation is used very rarely in this high rainfall area. Ever since the first vintage in 2004, Bellarmine has consistently produced stunning wines. Bellarmine Wines is rated 5 stars out of five by renowned wine writer James Halliday in his 2009 Wine Companion.
Shopping cart software by ezimerchant
Product Name 
