Five Fine Organic Wines To Savour Now
Nature’s role in winemaking can never be emphasized enough and our selection of organic wines goes a step further, expressing nature’s capacity to craft ferments, beaming with authentic style
Organic wine is the result of a winemaker’s invitation to nature to play its role in nurturing the fruit that makes the wine. Terroir as the French call it is a combination of climate, soil and human effort. Organic wine making is a further step in the right direction of allowing terroir to influence the wine without any artificial intrusion. An organic wine, simply put is produced from grapes that have been cultivated without the use of pesticides or herbicides. The wine is therefore a true, natural expression of the region where it has been produced. Organic winemaking does demand significant and disruptive change for winemakers and owners alike — fruit yields are far lower as pests inflict transitory damage and vineyard management gets to be more labour intensive.
Inventive viticulturists though have a recent delectable history of making a success of the organic plunge. Some great stories abound about how they’ve repelled bugs and weeds from damaging their crop. In New Zealand, viticulturists deploy sheep to graze between the vine rows while in Chile, domesticated geese and llamas are let free to forage at the base of the vines. The French have harnessed a squadron of moth-eating bats to rid their vineyards of the nocturnal insect that causes grey rot in their precious fruit. And the Californians get their famished chickens to gorge on vine weevils infamous for ravaging vine roots. Enlisting natural predators and outlawing chemicals is one element of a larger philosophy that culminates in a wine of resplendent natural expression. We’ve shone a focus on five of our finest organic wines and invite you to discover our whole bunch at thewinepark.com.
Dog Point, Chardonnay 2019
This vintage new world style is farmed organically and deftly vinified. Dog Point’s philosophy is centred around hands on viticulture and organic farming — the estate lets lose 2500 sheep to feast on weeds and insects underneath the vines. The resulting wine is displays interesting notes of gunflint and smoke, complimented by citrus and grapefruit flavours.
Sattlerhoff, Sudsteiermark Sauvignon Blanc 2018
This Austrian expression of the, French noble grape is a fine return for the organic effort of the Sudsteiermark region’s pioneering family estate. Sattlerhoff was one of the region’s first practitioners of organic viticulture and has crafted this exquisite style that delights with distinctly herbaceous notes, subtle fruit flavours of lemon zest and grape fruit, enlivened with great acidity.
St. Urbans-Hof, QbA, Riesling “Old Vines” 2020
Highly decorated Mosel valley winemaker Nik Weis has been the region’s leading proponent of organic viticulture, allowing his fruit to express itself natural without chemical intervention. This delicately floral German Riesling balances sweetness and acidic character, finishing with great mineral length, reminiscent of Mosel’s blue slate soils that are organically nurtured.
Matias Riccitelli, Hey Malbec 2020
Crafted by the creative and environmentally conscious oenologist Matias Riccitelli, this organic Malbec beams with naturally tended fruit. Matias organically farms 20 hectares of old vines in Mendoza’s Luja de Cuyo region, making the most of the unique microclimate that has rewarded him with a rich ferment, teeming with dark fruit, spicy hints and barrel aged charm.
Stark-Conde, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
South Africa has a proud and pervasive culture of organic farming and nowhere is this most highlighted than Stellenbosch where the country’s best Cabernet Sauvignon is produced. And organic viticulture plays a significant part, particularly for Stark Conde whose brilliant winemaker Rüdger van Wyk has made the organic approach, his way of life. Hailed as a cool climate specialist, Rüdger believes in letting the “the grape doing its natural thing.” That is certainly the case with this hearty Cabernet that impresses with full bodied bouquet of blackberry, tea leaf and barrel aged splendour.
