The UK's No.1 Australian Wine Specialist

Digging deep with our producers - Part I

A mammoth Q&A covering a list of topics; The 2021 vintage, The Wine Press and the Aussie Domestic Scene.

Part II (next Friday / Sunday) will include; The Past, The Future & Climate Change and Confessions of a Winemaker, rounding off fifty questions and twenty-two pages to sift through…

The 2021 Vintage

After a season characterised by near-perfect growing and ripening conditions across most states and regions, the 2021 crush is estimated to be 2.03 million tonnes, the largest ever recorded…

Can you provide us with an update on how the 2021 vintage is looking for you?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - 2021’s look great and most are in bottle at the moment. Good strong vintage with good structures and acidities, I’m really happy.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - The 2021 vintage season was one to remember, as ripening conditions were close to perfect for production of premium quality wine grapes. Good winter rainfall was followed by a warm September, so the vines got off to an early start but still had good soil moisture which held through spring. Flowering conditions were ideal with warm weather and not too much rain and wind pressure, so bunch formation was lovely and even.

The summer was cool which allowed the grapevines to grow without stress. 41 mm of rain arrived in the first week of February as verasion was drawing to a close. This gave the crop levels a nice boost without causing berries to split. The final ripening period was gentle and steady allowing optimum time for delicate fruit flavours to develop. Crop levels were slightly above average but quality levels were outstanding. The 2021 wines have beautiful, lifted aromatics, fine tannins and lovely natural acidity. It was a “Cracker” of a vintage and the wines should develop nicely for many decades to come.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - 2021 was an amazing vintage, typified by cool, slow ripening giving increased colour, flavour and natural acid retention within the berries.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Our 2021 vintage in the Macedon Ranges was cool in a cool place. Harvest was very late, in some cases into May for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from our Macedon Ranges sites, making it some of the last in the country to harvest those varieties. The cool season is seen in the wines with purity tension and length. Our Pinot Noirs show floral and rose hip characters, with lovely grown vineyard, fine tannins. The palate shows precision and length. The Chardonnays have earth derived characters rather than sun notes. By this I mean they show more minerality and flint than floral or fruit notes. They are powerful yet fine with minerality and drive.

Possibly the best vintage to date?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - 2021’s look great and most are in bottle at the moment. Good strong vintage with good structures and acidities, I’m really happy.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - 2021 was the best vintage since Duncan Kennedy joined as senior winemaker in January 2015.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - 2021 was the best I’d seen, until I saw 2022 – similar but a slight step up in fitness in Adelaide Hills fruit.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - I wouldn’t say that. It has purity and vibrancy and is unique as all vintages are. The coolness of the Macedon Ranges vintage is definitely evident in the wines with their poise and minerality. I still think 2017 is hard to beat.

Which grape varietals have performed best?

Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Without a doubt, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - All of them, I’m happy with everything to be honest – no favourite children here.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Always Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Barbera & Tempranillo also shine. Pinot is developing into a plush gem also.

Clearly yields are up on 2019/2020 and we understand that the ’22 crush returns to normal. With this in mind – do you increase prices if you firmly believe the vintage is super-special? (Bordeaux, Burgundy, USA etc certainly would)?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - I’m always hesitant to dramatically increase prices, however everything is increasing in price so small, incremental prices are unfortunate but necessary.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - No way. More wine has gone into our single vineyard wines than ever before in 2021 as they reflect the single sites, variety and vintage.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Even though cost pressures of inputs are high, I’d leave pricing alone due to market pressures for the moment until all profit is squeezed out.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - Like many producers over the past 12 months Kay Brothers experienced significantly increased production costs, these include key items such as dry goods (wine labels, packaging, glass bottles, screw caps), logistics and labour. Going forward these external costs are further increasing, and this is outside of our control.

Soon we will be starting production of the 2021 wines including the Basket Pressed Shiraz, Basket Pressed Grenache, Basket Pressed Merlot and Basket Pressed Mataro, and due to the much higher cost scenario our business decision is to initiate a price increase with the release of these wines.

We are able to secure current pricing on the 2020 Basket Pressed Shiraz until October (depending on depletion rate) and 2020 Basket Pressed Grenache until December 2020 (depending on depletion rate).

Our Reserve range prices including our signature wine Block 6 Shiraz will remain for the 2019 and 2020 vintage, however there will be changes on the horizon when the 2021 vintage is getting released in 2023.

We are aware that the implementation of this price increase will be challenging, and we thank you for your continued support.

Are you planning on retaining the same value and capitalise on the bigger number of bottles produced?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I’m more looking at the market and what it can bear, I’d be keen to see how current pricing holds in the market and what will change in the coming 18 months.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Quality remains the best it can be, and my production numbers have remained very similar. Value for money is still fantastic.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Being farmers, we must ride the ups and downs. The price of the wines will remain stable throughout booms and busts of harvests. The variation of volume is therefore built into the price.

Hypothetically speaking – The respected boys at The Wine Front award one of your unreleased ’21 gems 98-points – a lofty number for them. Consequently, enquiries from all merchants and consumers is feverish. Will you maintain the 2020 price, or will you take advantage and hike the price up?

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - We would maintain the price and simply sell the wine very quickly! From then, we would allocate the wine accordingly across our distribution channels.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Refer above re pricing, need to consolidate some brand sales in the market seems I’m a relatively new market entrant. I think a few vintage scores in a row would then generate some price review.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Price will remain as is, but as expressed earlier, small incremental price rises are necessary.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers)- The pricing on the 2020 wines will remain at the current level as these wines have already been produced. Historically we have never increased a price because of a super review.

Bordeaux has historically sold their wines via the En-Primeur system. Prices vary from vintage to vintage with pressures coming from market / economic conditions, global demand and vintage assessments’ (courtesy of the world’s leading critics). Would you like to see your wines adopting a similar format?

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - We are not about ups and downs, we are seeking sustainable growth and continued business success – preferably not changed by an exceptional vintage.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - That would be amazing, but more market awareness and momentum would help.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - At this stage I’m struggling to answer this survey in a timely fashion so this might take too much grey matter to answer. In theory this would be great but I can’t see it happening outside the great Australian wines.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - No, not at all. This system is antiquated and too reliant on wine press. It is also open to fraud. Often sample en primeur tastings are very different to the finished wine.

Wine Press

Do you actively canvas the opinions of the Wine Press?

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - We like to stick to our philosophy and resolve, making the best wines and styles from our sites. While we avoid getting caught up in other people’s opinions, we do enjoy receiving good critiques of our wines by our peers in the wine industry.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I send to a few reviewers here and there, most of my sales are on premise and there’s no real ask for reviews in this sector, mostly looking for suitability for a wine list.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Not so much.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - We will be continuously submitting our wines to Halliday Wine Companion, Wine Front, Wine Advocate/Robert Parker, James Suckling, Vinous, Gourmet Traveller, Wine Business Magazine – Tyson Stelzer, Wine Pilot, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age -Katie Spain.

Do you have an opinion on the positive and negative impacts of the press?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - They are paid to present opinions. If you put your wines in front of them, you need to accept the feedback regardless if you agree or not.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Some consumers need a third opinion when buying new wines, so press is a great way to do this. It can be a bit of a dent to the ego if you get a bad score, but hey, it’s only one person’s opinion and if you believed in the wine enough to bottle it then you should be confident in it.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Not so much.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers)- We did experience an excellent impact on sales in the export markets when Wine Advocate – Joe Czerwinksi scored our 2018 Block 6 Shiraz 97 points and remarked: “Perhaps the best I had the privilege to taste.”

Do you believe winemakers are under too much pressure to garner praise from the critics?

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Some are but I don’t feel that I am.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - The wine press can be a powerful ally and especially in retail there is pressure for points and reviews and it raises brand awareness.

Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - No, but there can be a disconnect between wine show results or critics and the style and flavour in the wine that the consumer prefers.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Not at all. Depends where your market lies and how much you customer base values critics opinions.

Would the wine world be a better place without them?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines)- No, it would allow inferior quality brands to go unchecked.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I think if they are in it for the betterment of this industry as a whole then it is great to have them, if it is for their own gain or ego then better off without them.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Definitely not. It is an essential platform in wine education and training. It can help point untrained consumers and point them in the right direction for their wine purchases.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - I believe it is good to have a third-party evaluation. A wine enthusiast can only taste and afford so many wines and having a professional appraising the wines can help in raising awareness and creates desirability.

Which member of the wine press conveys your wines in the best light? Have you seen an increase in sales off the back of their respective publication?

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - It varies. I respect some palates more than others. It’s hard to gauge an increase in sales due to high scores. I know when we have a great wine, as will our distributer, retailers, and sommeliers. This attention and extra exuberance about a particular wine will often result in an increase in the speed of sales.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Mike Bennie from Winefront is a great reviewer across all styles so I think he’s best for my wines. Some high scores have helped sales of new wines so there definitely an effect from the right person.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Campbell Mattinson & Ned Goodwin see value in Coulter Wines Style.

Have you personally been harmed (in terms of sales) by comments made by a member of the wine press?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - No.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Not as yet, I think people remember and read the high scores and gloss over the low ones.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - We can recall difficulties in selling the wines from the 2011 vintage. Whilst it was overall a complicated year in South Australia we were still able to produce respectable wines. However, the press was incredibly harsh and this led definitely led to a slowdown in sales momentum.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - No. In Australia, our wine press don’t intentionally try to harm and berate wineries and winemakers.

Do you categorically object to sending samples to key members of the press? If so, why? And who?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I’ve no problem sending the wines out, as mentioned it is just one person’s opinion and you should trust more in your importer/distributor/sales team to deliver on the quality of the wine rather than a few words on paper.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - As mentioned, we are sending our samples to various wine writers who we feel respect our traditional winemaking philosophy.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - We regularly send our wines out to key members of the press to taste and review. Often if they don’t like it, they won’t write about it, and we never hassle nor chase them down. Some will give us feedback directly, which is great to receive, as it’s always constructive and informative. Different media and writers have differing reach and opinions, and that’s a really good thing.

Whether scoring from 0-20 or 0-100 – what do you believe is a good score for wine that retails between $50 to $75 per bottle?

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - It depends on the critic. They will rate it according to the quality of the wine and their opinion.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I think anywhere in the mid to high 90’s is good in this bracket, depending on who is reviewing it.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - 95 Points

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - 93 and above is solid but always subjective.

In your opinion – which are the most important wine press publications / persons in Australia (top 3 please)?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Halliday (the entity), The wine front & Ned Goodwin.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Wine Companion – for commercial wines still but it’s losing its shine

Winefront – for the wine nerds seeking wines, this is more niche but better quality audience

Wine Advocate – now Erin Larkin is reviewing locally this will really pick up as more wines come online in this publication

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - It would have to be the Halliday Wine Companion, The Wine Front (Campbell Mattinson, Gary Walsh and Mike Bennie) and Huon Hooke’s The Real Review. I also respect Max Allen, Nick Ryan, Tim White, Jane Faulkner and Jeni Port.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - Wine Front – Gary Walsh , Halliday Wine Companion, Wine Business Magazine – Tyson Stelzer (pictured above).

Erin Larkin has recently been named the new Aussie critic for the Wine Advocate, which and in its day, was the leading global wine publication. What are your expectations for Aussie wines now they have a bigger, global audience?

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - We have developed a good relationship with Wine Advocate – Joe Czerwinski with visits to our winery pre Covid. This was also enhanced by a close relationship of our distributors PR office in NY with JC. Wine Advocate remains internationally a very important publication and therefore Erin Larkin’s appointment will help in driving more momentum into the international wine scene for wines produced in ‘down under’.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Yet to be seen. The best Aussie wines are already hard to get and selling out, regardless of reviews. It hopefully highlights how great the Australian wine scene is when compared with the rest of the world.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - As mentioned above this is great as sending wines to the USA for review was virtually impossible, so to have a local person you can access for this publication will get more wines into the global audience.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Play to our strength – fruit ripeness, embrace who we are and don’t try to be/replicate other parts of the wine world.

Australian Wine Customers

What wines are your Australian customers enjoying at the moment? Light and bright styles or wines which offer a richer/deeper experience?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - There’s still demand for big Barossa reds which no one likes to admit, especially at higher price points. Younger people are more for lighter styles, interesting labels and buying into the story of what you are doing with the wines.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - There has definitely been a trend in recent years towards more fruit-driven wines. This has had an impact in our winemaking, we are using larger oak barrels and taking the wines out of oak a few months earlier than in the past which has given us better oak integration and made them more approachable in the early years. However, the tannin and structure is still a feature and the potential for aging remains strong. Looking at the varieties Grenache has seen a lot more momentum and the attributes are obvious, it is a variety which is all about fine tannins, bright fruit intensity and immediate consumption.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Wines with space on the palate seem to be our most popular at the moment. By this I mean wines that have concentration yet allow the wines to express themselves and the vineyard from where it was produced. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and the perfect variety to allow this. Wines that are bogged down with added tannins, extra oak, heavy handed extraction in any variety seem to be on the outer.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Well made wine with balance natural acidity.

Aussie wine Millennials: Have you seen a distinct change in their drinking habits? On average, what age group is your ‘best’ private customer base?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - All genders 25 to 55 YOA

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Fortunately for us, we have customers ranging from 25 to 85. Those over 50s have been drinking our wines for 20 years and it’s great to see millennials enjoying our wines. They enjoy, and are willing to pay for, quality, reputation and consistency.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - Our customer base is 50+ and the support during the past two years has been very good. In times of uncertainty people seem to revert to trusted brands.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - My best customer base seems to be late 30’s to late 40’s, people confident and exploring different styles and producers. They also like the quality of the wine to be backed up by an interesting package.

Are consumers demanding more
biodynamic / organic wine?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - There’s talk out there for this, the whole industry needs to shift this way, but it will take growers not being able to sell grapes for the whole industry to change, there needs to be an economic hit to encourage a change.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Not that I have seen. Yet saying that, if the wine tastes the same, they would choose organic or biodynamic.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - The demand on biodynamic / organic wine has increased marginally in Australia but is still much behind European markets.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Not my customers specifically.

There is evidence of wine companies catering to gender differences. What is your view of this?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - I am not sexist. Our wines cater for all people above 18. Making those conscience decisions to target different markets due to their gender is not what we aspire to or chase.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Sounds like some companies have budgets for a marketing department, whatever helps sell wine can’t be a bad thing.

Do Aussie consumers prefer the cellar door experience over the ability to purchase via your e-shop? What was your split for 2021?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I only have an e-shop so it’s all here, but if I get a chance to host someone and explain what I’m doing then I get more traction from this. Face to face will always be better for long term customers.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Definitely Cellar Door, but online has also been solid – 50:50

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - We were in lockdown for more than 6 months in 2021 so it’s not ideal year to look at and compare. There is no doubt that our customers prefer to buy a bottle of wine to enjoy in our restaurant and then take a few home with them when they leave. We find that people who live interstate or a fair distance from our winery will buy via our online shop or as a part of our wine club subscription.

Do you see a significant shift away from Red wine sales (in preference to White and Rosé) during your summer months?

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Not particularly, although our Rosé wine sales more than double from September through to April. People are still buying and enjoying red wine throughout the warmer summer months. There’s nothing better than a glass of Pinot Noir or Shiraz with a barbequed steak.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - 95% of our production is red wines. We have introduced a Grenache based Rosé in 2015 which we sell predominately through our Cellar Door and online.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Temperature does effect this a bit, but people still drink red in an air conditioned restaurant. I’ve seen plenty of reds produced from an esky full of ice during summer so each to their own I reckon.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Marginally

What are the big trends in wine consumer behaviour for 2022 / 2023 and how are you adopting strategies to meet those trend(s)?

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Customers are liking richer Chardonnays again; my style will remain the same but with a slight elevation in Malo lactic. Chilled reds are also becoming a thing. My wines are also suited to this, so I always mention it to consumers.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Wine consumerism is forever shifting and evolving. We don’t chase these ‘trends’, as doing so, you will always be one step behind. We have the confidence in our product, and we make it the best we can.

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I am production focussed – so I control what I can in producing the wines I like to make, if I focussed on the market I’m sure I’d be more successful!

A slight shift but a worthy question. Are English wines easily available in Australia? Have you sampled any? Thoughts? What’s the Aussie opinion of them?

Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I’ve tried some sparkling wines from England and not remembering the producer I do recall thinking they were great. Lots of potential here and I’d be keen to try more.

Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – English sparkling wines are well regarded and are good wines. Outside that I don’t actively seek them out.

Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - Extremely difficult to find and no I haven’t personally tasted English wines.

Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Yes, a few sparklings. Some look great and are punching above their French counterparts. Still not widely available or consumed in Australia. The general consumer is still conservative and will stick with what they know.

Part II to follow next week...

Digging Deep with our Producers: Part 1