On Balance

The Age

Saturday November 1, 2008

Jane Faulkner

"I'm oak averse," declares Pat Carmody, the no-nonsense, focused winemaker at Craiglee in Sunbury, a place that has long been home to a very special shiraz. "I want to taste the fruit so I don't want a wine that screams oak. Besides I am always trying to find balance. Always."

It's why Carmody used only about 20% new oak so it doesn't dominate the wine, letting it remain in the background. With shiraz, he wants the savoury nuances of the variety to be highlighted alongside those lovely red berry fruits obvious in warmer vintages or in cooler vintages where white pepper and spice come to the fore. Clumsy oak handling usually means too much new, overly charry sweet wood that often masks ordinary wine in the first place. All that's really left in the wine is oak. Ugh!

And while he holds back on the new barrels, Carmody is also particular about how long he keeps old ones, ditching them every four years. Part of this is "just my insurance policy as I'm wary if I get a bretty (brettanomyces-infected) barrel or if I get a barrel and I don't like the flavour of the wine then I just tip it. It's another reason why I don't rack wine either." (Racking is where wine is siphoned off its lees into other barrels, which means brettanomyces could potentially spread. Brett won't harm you but it smells awful and tastes worse - it's a yeast spoilage that strips fruit notes from wine while often leaving a fecal or medicinal character. Ugh again!)

OK. Enough lingo, all this really means is that Carmody is meticulous in the winery. But more than that, he says, "if I can't get balance in the vineyard then I shouldn't be doing any of this at all."

Balance is one thing, vintage variation is another. We're talking specifically about 2006 - a warm one, which can be beneficial for cabernet sauvignon but not so chardonnay. It was a tough one to rein in and came on the back of the excellent '05, a tight, linear wine. "It was a vintage that caught me somewhat and I would have preferred a touch less alcohol as the finish is a bit unbalanced," Carmody says. But he cheerily adds: "I haven't been caught again." Craiglee's chardonnay is always barrel fermented with extended lees contact to build texture but there's never any malolactic fermentation as he wants to retain the wine's natural acidity.

As always, wine conversations with Carmody are engaging as he's succinct, totally upfront and will dissect vintages in order to fine-tune and avoid pitfalls next time: "I learn a different set of rules every year," he says. Now this is as refreshing as it is telling. Carmody is a most experienced winemaker of some 30 years, although he adds "the longer you're in it, the less you know". Well, perhaps that's true but judging by Craiglee's consistently outstanding wines, I'm not entirely convinced. Seems this is a winemaker who knows exactly what he's doing, if only he could dictate the weather.

janefaulkner@winematters.com.au

-- JANE FAULKNER

CRAIGLEE SHIRAZ 2006 $45

There's so much perfume in this medium-bodied wine that it's heady, almost intoxicating, with aromas that move from floral to black plum and red fruits. There's spice, too, with a touch of pepper, superb balance with seamless oak integration. It builds on the palate then meets ripe, plush tannins and a lingering finish.

CRAIGLEE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 $32

A sensational, medium-bodied cabernet sauvignon loaded with fragrant red and ripe blackberry fruits. It builds with savoury, cedary notes, supple velvety tannins and subtle oak that brings this wine together beautifully and to a long finish. Top stuff.

CRAIGLEE CHARDONNAY 2006 $27

This is on the richer and riper side of the Craiglee chardonnay spectrum and is a little forward, but there's lots to enjoy, too, from its melon, fig and peach fruit notes to its nutty, leesy influences and creamy mid-palate. It's a moreish, textural wine and much better with food.

© 2008 The Age

Back to News Index | Back to Home