The Colonial Estate Explorateur Barossa Valley Shiraz 2017

The vineyards that make up Explorateur are based in the northwestern Barossa Valley. This is a belt of land/terroir that runs from just to the northwest of Tanunda – Marananga, Greenock, Moppa, Ebenezer, and through to Stockwell, just north of Nuriootpa. Cropping levels are kept low to ensure fruit flavour is focus. The same equipment that is accorded to our more expensive wines is made available to Explorateur. Fermentation is French in approach for up to two thirds of the wine made; the rest is vinified in a more Australian way.

The Colonial Estate Exodus Barossa Valley Chardonnay 2018

The 2018 vintage Chardonnay has come up extremely well and perhaps this vintage will go down as one of the Barossa’s finest. Grapes were harvested in individual batches to select only the finest quality fruit and minimize losses due to the small tonnes grown. The picking occurred in early March from a single vineyard located in the Barossa. The wine was crushed and fermented with 20% of the blend receiving oak fermentation with frequent lees stirring. The two parcels were blended together and bottled to retain fruit driven flavours.

The Colonial Estate Explorateur Barossa Valley Sparkling Shiraz Nv

The vineyards that make up Explorateur are based in the northwestern Barossa Valley. This is a belt of land/terroir that runs from just to the northwest of Tanunda – Marananga, Greenock, Moppa, Ebenezer, and through to Stockwell, just north of Nuriootpa. Cropping levels are kept low to ensure fruit flavour is focus. This Shiraz is created from a blend of vintages, primary fermentation is in stainless steel vats followed by extended barrel fermentation on lees to build complexity and richness. The parcels were blended followed by secondary fermentation which gives the wine its sparkle.

Should be drinking well now and over the next 6 or so years.

The Colonial Estate Envoy Barossa Valley Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2015

Envoy is probably the most European in style wine that we make in Australia and has been confused from time to time with a wine from the Southern Rhone. As ever, the grapes are picked and given a French twist in their winemaking to deliver something slightly different. Fermentation is French for up to two-thirds of the wine made the rest vinified in a more standard Australian way. Aged in oak for 12 months then in bottle for an additional 12 months prior to release.

The Colonial Estate Enchanteur Barossa Valley Rose 2017

We make our Rose predominantly from Grenache in the French process known as Saigee and make the wine as if we were making a white wine. Once the juice has been cold stabilized we start up fermentation with Champagne yeast and keep it as cool as we can for as long as the fermentation lasts. In our view the longer the better – the fruiter, the more zesty the wine. Much of this wine comes from our higher end wines as they are all saigneed, which is the process of separating an amount of juice from the skins prior to fermentation. The ratio is changed as a result concentrating the red wines.