Masterclass: Sparkling presented by Ed Carr & Dr Tony Jordan

Insert activity title here: Calibri 30pt

Subheading title here: Calibri 18ptPresented by John Citizen 24th August 2010

Sparkling

Dr Tony Jordan & Ed Carr 21st September, 2010

Landmark Australia Tutorial

www.wineaustralia.com/landmark

Perspective (2008)

• Global Sparkling wine production 170 million cases

• Champagne Sparkling wine production 27 million cases

• Australian Sparkling wine production (#8 in the world) 6.7 million cases

Australian Production (2008)

• Charmat and Traditional Method (Transfer & Riddle/Disgorge) 5.7 million casesCarbonated 1.0 million cases

6.7 million cases (total)

Domestic Market (MAT June 2010)

• Domestic sales 6.0 mil cases (2.4 litres/h/yr)

– Dom. trad and charmat sparkling as % of total dom. wine sales.. 9%

– Growth rate similar to still wines over the last 25 years.

– Market has doubled in 25 years (population hasn’t)

– “Top end” segment (> AU$20/btl shelf price) < 6% of sales: 360,000 cases

This segment is essentially Methode Traditionelle, CH/PN/PM blends.

*These are the wines on which this tasting will focus.

Exports

• Export sales 1.7 mil cases

– 2% of total exports. 3.5% of bottled exports. Why so low?

Imports

• Imported Sparkling Wine sales 0.9 mil cases (Champagne 280,000 cases) 13% of Sparkling (all types) sales.

Australian Sparkling Wine in numbers


Sparkling Wine in Australia – Historical NotesEarly History

• Sparkling wine has a long and colourful history in Australia dating back to the 1840’s shortly after the foundation of the colonies in South Australia and Victoria.

• Famous names such as Thomas Hardy, Samuel Smith and Seppelt were experimenting with Sparkling wines in the 1870s.

• Dr. Louis Lawrence Smith established the "Victorian Champagne Company" in Melbourne in the 1860s. He produced "Crème de Bouzy", “Perle d’Australie" and "Sillery" and also a "Sparkling Burgundy" which may have been Australia's first. The grape varieties used are not known but probably included Chasselas and “Pineau” which were grown by Swiss settlers in the Yarra Valley.

• In the 1890’s (?) Edmond Mazure established the Romalo winery that in the 1940’s came under the control of Samuel Wynn who changed the name to "Seaview" which became one of Australia's best-known sparkling wine labels.

• Arguably the first significant commercial venture was established at Great Western in Victoria in the 1870s by Joseph Best and purchased from his estate in 1888 by Hans Irvine. Irvine sold Great Western to Seppelts in 1918 and "Great Western Champagne" became one of the labels that were synonymous for “Champagne” in Australia throughout the 20th century.

• Another famous label (now faded) "Minchinbury" was established at Rooty Hill Sydney in the 1880s. It was purchased by Penfold's in 1912 and production continued on that site until the 1990s.


The Sparkling Wine Scene in the 1970s

• In the 1970s there were virtually no Sparkling wines made from the classic Champagne varieties. Sparkling wines were made largely by Charmat or Transfer process from a great range of grape varieties (Semillon, Pedro, Palomino, Riesling, Trebbiano, Verdelho, Sultana, Shiraz, Grenache etc.) mainly grown in warm to hot viticultural areas.

• The highest quality Australian "Champagnes" of the ‘70s included names such as Seppelt’s "Great Western", Penfold’s "Minchinbury", Wynn’s "Seaview" and Lindeman’s "Imperator".

• By the 1990s these labels had become low-priced, high-volume, “popular premium” market brands that ultimately were overtaken by competitors. Today’s “popular premium” labels include Omni, Banrock Station, Jacob’s Creek, Yellowglen, Angus Brut etc.

Sparkling Wine in Australia – Historical Notes


The New Era - the emergence of high quality, cool climate, classic varietal, traditionalmethod Sparkling wines in the 1980s

• In the 1980s, in terms of quality the “popular premium” labels were overtaken by a new category of "high-end" sparkling wines made from the classic varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grown in cool to cold climate terroir.

• The development of this new high-end, traditional variety, category was an obvious extension into sparkling wine of the successful revolution in still wine style and quality of the 70s and 80s that had led to the emergence of Australia on the international scene as a producer of quality wine.

• Early movers included Tyrrells (Hunter Valley), Home and Landrigan at Smythesdale, Victoria (this label became Yellowglen), Yarra Burn (Yarra Valley, Victoria), Cope Williams (Macedon, Victoria), Domaine Chandon (Yarra Valley, Victoria), Seppelts Salinger (Great Western, Victoria), Croser (Piccadilly Valley, SA), Yalumba D (Barossa Ranges, SA), Seaview Edmond Mazure (Padthaway, SA) and Roederer Jansz (Piper’s River, Tasmania) etc.

• Some have faded away, others have gone from strength to strength and have been joined by later starters as we will see in today's tasting.

Sparkling Wine in Australia – Historical Notes


• As you saw yesterday in the presentation on climate factors influencing Australian wine regions, Australia is vast and most of it is unsuitable for “fine wine” viticulture. Large parts of the north are tropical and the centre is too hot and dry

• However Australia still has vast and diverse areas suitable for viticulture in the South East (SE) and South West (SW) of the country. These areas have cool to warm Mediterranean climates.

• The terroir of vineyards in the SE and SW is influenced by three main factors:

– The prevailing weather systems moving west to east across the cold southern ocean.

– Higher latitude (further from equator) thus cooler.

– Altitude – many cooler vineyards are at higher altitudes. Temperature decreases 0.65°C for each 100 m altitude.

• “Top end” Sparkling wines made from the traditional varieties require “cool” to “cold” terroir.

• Where are these cool to cold terroirs?

Where does Australia grow its “top end” Sparkling wines?

Annual average number of days greater than 15 degrees Celsius.


Climatic Data for Vineyard Regions Comparative Heat Summation

• Heat Summation (expressed as HDD)FranceReims 1,000Bordeaux 1,400Montpellier 1,530

• Other Factors• Humidity• Latitude / Altitude• Sunshine Hours• Vineyard Aspect• Soil• Vineyard Management

- Canopy (Sunlight infiltration)- Irrigation

Australia – Warm climateMerbein (VIC) 1,750Berri (SA) 1,750

Australia – Cool climateWestern AustraliaPemberton 1,400

South AustraliaPiccadilly 1,200

New South WalesTumbarumba 1, 100

VictoriaYarra Valley – Upper Yarra 1000Macedon 950Strathbogie Ranges (600 m) 1000 (est.)

TasmaniaTamar Estuary 1,150Pipers River 1,050Coal River Valley 1,000Glenora (Upper Derwent Valley) 950

Vineyards in the Upper Yarra Valley 250 to 450m altitude

Vineyards amongst the forests Upper Yarra Valley Victoria

Upper Yarra, Winter scene

Bay of Fires Pipers River, Tasmania

Spring Frost, Pipers River Tasmania

Tumbarumba Vineyard NSW. Lower Latitude, high altitude

Adelaide Hills Vineyards


Different Methods of making Sparkling WineCARBONATED

(No second fermentation)CHARMAT PROCESS

(Pressure tank fermentation)TRANSFER PROCESS(Bottle fermentation)

TRADITIONAL METHOD

(Bottle fermentation)

Non varietal Mix of classic and other varieties Usually classic varieties Usually classic varieties

Machine picked grapes Machine picked grapes Hand or machine picked grapes Usually hand picked grapes

Primary fermentation Primary fermentation Primary fermentation Primary fermentation

MLF – No MLF – Yes and no ? Depends on style MLF – usually yes MLF –usually yes, sometimes partial.

Blending / Stabilisation / Filtration Blending / Stabilisation / Filtration Blending / Stabilisation / Filtration Blending / Stabilisation /

Filtration (optional)

Transfer blend to pressure tanks Transfer blend to pressure tanks Fill blend to bottles Fill blend to bottles

No second fermentation; carbon dioxide gas is bubbled into the wine in

the pressure tank

The wine is dosed (sweetened) and mixed

Second fermentation occurs in pressure tanks

Clarified and transferred under pressure to a pressure tank where it is

dosed and mixed

Second fermentation occurs in individual bottles

Transfer (under pressure) contents of each bottle to a pressure tank, where

they are dosed and mixed

Second fermentation occurs in individual bottles

Remuage

Disgorgement and liqueuring

Filtration Filtration Filtration

Bottling Bottling Bottling

(in a different bottle to that in which second fermentation occurred)

(Remains in the same bottle in which second fermentation occurred)

Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging


Winemaking options for the production of “top end” sparkling white wines

Within any one style (Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noirs, Pinot dominant blends, Chardonnay dominant blendsetc.) different wine making options can vary the style greatly (finer or fuller, riper or less ripe, more complex orless complex etc.)

Some of these options are:

Varieties• We assume the classics: Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier

• Why shouldn’t blends include Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Semillon etc?

• Do clones and rootstocks matter?

Vineyard Terrior and Management• Climate; altitude/latitude, humidity, aspect (E/W or N/S), sunshine hours. Target 1000 to 1100 HDD? Why

not warmer?

• Soil type. How important is it? Soil type is important but distinctly second to climate. Finessing the impact of climate with soil types is a slow learning curve.

• Vineyard Management. Row direction, canopy structure, degree of fruit shading- all impact micro climate. Crop level. Irrigation management if required.


Winemaking options for the production of “top end” sparkling white winesHarvest• Maturity (sugar/acid/flavour criteria)• Hand or machine harvest? Style objectives as well as cost driven.

Pressing• Oxidative or non oxidative handling ?• Juice fractions – press cycles and extraction rates• Juice finings – reduction of colour and grape phenolics

Primary Fermentation – Base Wine Fermentation• Juice turbidity- effect on base wine texture and complexity• Fermentation in stainless steel and/or oak? - a major driver of wine style• Natural fermentation, otherwise choice of yeast ? - aroma and flavout complexity and texture impact.• Fermentation rate/temperature- impacts fruit retention ,desirabe/underisable• Malolactic fermentation; yes/no? – acidity reduction /flavour modification• Degree of protein stabilization – foam stability issue?• Ageing of base wine on primary yeast lees?- introduces more table wine style characters , risk of spoilage ( Brett)

Reserve Wines• Ageing of base wines in stainless steel, small or large format barrels (new and old) for several years as to develop character

and complexity.• Used in re-ferment, tirage blends and “Expedition liqueur” • Which wines are reserved, better quality or lesser quality? - Age will often improve a weaker base wine , allows back blending

in smaller volumes. At prestige levels reserve should match quality of Cuvee.


Winemaking options for the production of Australian Sparkling Red WinesVineyard Terrior• Climate, altitude /latitude, humidity, aspect (E/W or N/S), sunshine hours, target 1400 to 1600 HDD.• Soil type. How important? - as with white wines secondary to climate but significant.• Vineyard Management. Row direction, canopy structure, degree of fruit shading impact micro climate. Crop level. Irrigation

management if required.

Winemaking• Classic Australian style is usually based on Shiraz. Some winemakers now use Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Noir/Shiraz. • Harvest maturity (sugar/flavor criteria).• Primary fermentation

- Cold soak; yes/no- Fermenter type- Yeast type, rate/temperature regime- Malolactic fermentation; assume yes- Oak; yes /no? If yes, time and % in oak- Fining

• Blending - Considerable style impact of time of bulk wine in oak ie table wine type development while in bulk vs very slow development and greater fruit retention when on lees

• Tirage or Secondary or Bottle fermentation- Yeast type- Time on lees

• Disgorging- Expedition Liqueur; sugar, acid, brandy spirit, Vintage Port- Closure; cork, crown seal, zork etc.- Maturation post disgorging.


Australia’s “top end” Sparkling Wine Styles

Expectation

• Globally, high quality, non-Champagne Sparkling wines made from Ch/PN/PM suffers from an “expectation crisis”.

• The expectation of even knowledgeable gate keepers (wine journalists, trade, key consumers) is that Sparkling wine should be a “copy” of “top end” (not average!) Champagnes.

• These gate keepers do not have the same expectations of “top end” still wines!

• New World, “top end”, Sparkling wines should be looked at in the same way! These Sparklings have aromas and flavours that reflect the terroir in which they are grown and thus they are different, though not necessarily inferior, to Champagne.As we are seeing with the smaller ( independent) Champagne producers , the new world wines will need to carve their own market niche based on style, quality and individuality . As the market seeks more diversity of options and wines of “place” there appears to be opportunity to change entrenched opinions.

Australian Sparkling Wine Styles – CH/PN/PM grown in cool/cold climates

• From: Delicate, fresh, citric aromatics and flavours with fine, creamy ,long and crisp palate structure.

• To: Strong character styles with complex aromas and flavours (from various techniques) that at their best have palate structures that are not fat or broad but are creamy, elegant, long and lingering. They have age and complexity but still retain brightness and vibrancy

Documents

Masterclass: Sparkling presented by Ed Carr & Dr Tony Jordan