"Gifted Chief Winemaker" at Deakin Estate
27th October 2009
Deakin Estate has been compared to Rosemount Estate in its glory days by James Halliday in a feature article in "The Weekend Australian" Oct. 24-25, 2009.
Halliday said that Deakin Estate has " an ultra modern winery and a gifted chief winemaker in Dr. Phil Spillman." He went on to say "Deakin Estate has a consistency and clarity of branding reminiscent of Rosemount Estate in its glory days. It's a potent mix."
A full transcript of the article follows:
WINE: James Halliday | October 24, 2009
Article from: The Australian
ON the face of it, Deakin Estate is in the centre of a perfect storm: a drought-ravaged Murray Darling; a significant grape surplus; a barrage of criticism from overseas journalists levelled at the type of wine it produces; and the perceived desire of the industry to distance itself from Brand Australia and refocus on higher quality, higher priced regional wines.
The reality is quite different. For a start, the 390ha of vines it owns or manages stand alongside 125ha of oranges, mangoes and avocados. Moreover, its horticultural activities date back to the late 1960s, and its water licences are such that it has had no need to buy water.
That said, it is not sitting passively waiting for water entitlements to be savagely cut: aerial mapping and neutron probes are the cornerstones of precision viticulture. Overnight watering via dripper lines and complex water management techniques are used. The combination of grapes, oranges and avocados means year-round work for the eight permanent employees, and evens out the cash flow, although citrus growing, like grapes, is a chancy business. There's not much Deakin Estate can do about a national grape surplus, but it is in the enviable position of growing roughly half of its annual 19,000-tonne crush and relying on contract growers for the other half, giving it room to manoeuvre.
Deakin exports its wines to 30 countries, but is insulated from the woes of the UK and the US. In the UK its focus has always been on-premise, not the supermarkets, and the US has never been a core market. Thus in the 2008-09 financial year, Australia's exports shrank 10.9pc by volume, while Deakin Estate's grew by 7pc.
Finally, Deakin Estate has an ultra-modern winery and a gifted chief winemaker in Dr Phil Spillman. Spillman worked for Chittering Estate in the warm Perth Hills, then BRL Hardy and thereafter Villa Maria Estate for three years before joining Deakin estate in 2004. Along the way he fitted in a stint with the Australian Wine Research Institute, and in 1997 gained his PhD in oenology from the University of Adelaide. Deakin Estate has a consistency and clarity of branding reminiscent of Rosemount Estate in its glory days. It's a potent mix.
2009 DEAKIN ESTATE MOSCATO
I'm not a big fan of this rapidly proliferating style, and doubt that it will win a permanent market share of any significance. But this is one of the very few super-low alcohol examples that has intensity of flavour, and more importantly considerable length. Its high residual sugar (100g per litre) is largely masked by its low pH of 2.92 rather than its middle-of-the-road (6.5g per litre) of acidity. 4.5% alc, screwcap
Rating: 90 points
Drink: now
Price: $9.50
2009 DEAKIN ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC
This wine is the largest seller in Deakin Estate's export portfolio and leads its sales in New Zealand. It has a mix of grassy/herbal characters plus some tropical notes, and a commendably dry finish, which makes it food-friendly. The use of Lallemand X5 and X16 yeasts which accentuate varietal expression (and are used by sauvignon blanc makers in warm and cool climates alike) is part of the key; canopy management and early picking completes the picture. 11% alc, screwcap Rating: 88 points
Drink: now
Price: $9.50
2008 CRACKERJACK CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Part of a limited range with a very different label, and separately distributed in Australia. It is in fact 100% Coonawarra, and a harbinger of greater use of Coonawarra grapes. It has a strong regional expression, with nuances of Coonawarra earth, and good length. 14% alc, screwcap
Rating: 89 points
Drink: to 2012
Price: $9.50
