Margaret River is a 3-hour (approx. 270KM) drive from Perth and is a peninsula surrounded by two oceans, the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean. This is different to the maritime factors compared to Mornington Peninsula as the Indian Ocean brings warm sea breezes whereas the Southern Ocean brings a cooling influence. There is a balanced heat temperature throughout the year where it is never too cold or too hot. This means that the diurnal ranges are very low.
Vines were first planted here in 1967 as the Western Australian Government wanted more people to increase viticulture in the state. Agronomist, Dr John Gladstones was tasked to identify the best sites for viticulture. This was due to Margaret River having a similar climate to Bordeaux and had the oldest vineyard soils of the world. The soils are of deep, well-drained red gravelly loams (very similar to Left Bank Bordeaux).
GinGin Clone
The 1st clone was planted in 1975 and is now the most planted clone in Margaret River. It is known for its tendency to produce loose grape bunches with berries of different sizes. It is known as the Hen and the Chicken. The pepper corn sized berries (Chicken) have high acid levels, high skin to juice ratio resulting in more phenolics. The larger berries (Hen) have lots more juice and concentration giving more depth in fruit flavour and high acidity. This is a great combination as it resembles a pasta al dente texture behind the palette.
Wine No.9 – Cullen, Kevin John, Margaret River 2019
Cullen wines were founded in 1971 by Dr Kevin John Cullen and Diana Madeline Cullen. This winery has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation trends. The vineyard was made organic in 1995 and biodynamic in 2004.
This wine still has a lot of potential for ageing. There is definitely an Al Dente texture coming from the GinGin clone with a touch of phenolic. The fruit characteristics are very vibrant and intense. Overall, this is an outstanding wine and a good representation on how different a chardonnay can be in this region.
Summary
What a remarkable journey Jimmy and Emma had taken us on going through the history and changes of Chardonnay. This is expanded my knowledge on how different regions and vintages can really determine the characteristics of this fascinating grape variety. After doing this online session, my love for Chardonnay has increased and I have a better understanding and respect on how different it can be. I would highly recommend attending Jimmy’s Online courses at the West London Wine school. Jimmy has so much enthusiasm and passion for the world of wine and definitely shares his love for the love of wine.
Sharing my wine knowledge 