Wines

Bress wines are produced from grapes that have been grown using biodynamic farming practices.  This fruit is then handcrafted to reflect the varietal characters and the sense of place that each parcel of fruit expresses.

2011 Gold Chook Harcourt Valley Riesling O.D.

The Name
Whilst living and winemaking in the Yarra Valley, I discovered the joys of breeding and showing chickens. This passion led me to visit France in 1996 to witness first hand their traditional methods of breeding chickens and I dedicate our wines to the famous chickens of France and what they represent – artisan production using traditional, age old methods.

The Vineyard
This Riesling was grown in our 27 year old vineyard situated in the Harcourt Valley, central Victoria. Harcourt Valley is uncharacteristically cool for a central Victorian wine region. Nestled between the Mount Alexander range and a large ridge, the valley is subject to particularly cool mornings and afternoon shading due to the large ridge. This combination results in a prolonged growing season which produces intensely flavoured fruit. The vines were caned pruned and crop thinned to produce crops of less than 1.2 tonnes to the acre. It is this low-cropped fruit that has, in large part, produced such a full flavoured wine.

Winemaking
My winemaking belief is that good fruit should be treated gently and with minimal intervention. The Bress 2011 Harcourt Valley Riesling O.D. was treated in this manner. Techniques I was exposed to in Bordeaux in the early 1990’s, tasting countless sweet style German and Austrian Rieslings and speaking at length to a number of these producers has provided me with a range techniques that I utilise in making this wine. These include:

• Picking on fruit flavour and natural acid levels rather than sugar levels.

• Using a yeast strain that was isolated in Australia that has a high sugar to alcohol ratio and enhances varietal fruit aromas and flavours.

• Ensuring that the fermentation took over 4 weeks to complete at low temperatures, (generally 10 to 12 degrees).

Following fermentation, the wine was settled, blended and gently filtered prior to bottling in July. This Bress Harcourt Valley Riesling was bottled using a Screw Cap closure. Using a Screw Cap closure is our attempt to ensure that our wine is presented free of cork characters (good or bad) and that the full aroma and flavour of this wine is expressed.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Very pale golden straw with youthful green tinges.

Aroma: The wine offers a complex array of fruit aromas of citrus, spice and green skinned fruit.

Palate: The wine is deliberately made as a sweeter style Riesling. It has very attractive Riesling flavours of marmalade, cinnamon spice and green skinned fruit. There is a textural mid palate richness evident in the wine due to the prolonged fermentation. The finish is unctuous, well rounded and has a lovely acid balance which ensures the wine is not cloying.

Please enjoy this traditionally made hand crafted wine.