Description

Viticulture: Lutte raisonee/sustainable, no synthetic fungicides or herbicides.
Planted 1970 by the Reimer family Blanche Barkley is a relatively unknown gem. The vines have
been dry-grown from planting on an alluvial fan intermixed with shale, ironstone and mudstone in
close proximity to the famed Balgownie. Weeds are removed by whipper snipper, while the fruit
load in managed on a vine but vine basis ensuring each is capable of reaching full maturity. The
resultant fruit is bright and fresh, while also loaded with a slew of fine tannin. 2024 sees a Cabernet
Sauvignon produced from the site that sites comfortably alongside the Balgownie bottling.
Once hand harvested the fruit was entirely de-stemmed, then partially foot crushed before transfer
to open fermenters where it remained for three weeks. The must was allowed to soak until natural
fermentation commenced and was then extracted with a combination pumping over, delestage and
pigeage before basket pressing.

Elevage took place in a combination of Spanish terracotta Tinaja pot (33%) new Stockinger 300l
(30%) and seasoned thin staved Bordeaux coopered barriques for 12 months, before four months in
stainless steal after assemblage.
Bright ruby red. Immediately aromatic and spicy, bright black and white peppercorns, liquorice strap and
creamy black cherry and raspberry fruit with a potpourri lift and ironstone complexity.
All gaining depth with aeration. The palate is bright fruited, fleshy and full- speaking of the cool site and
season in a warm region. Black cherry and liquorice lead, again backed by pepper and spice, framed by the
dense tannic structure from these old dry grown vines. A very “Burgundy” style shiraz.

Shortlisted – Best New Winery of the Year
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2024
Gourmet Traveller Wine – Young Winemaker of the Year
Gourmet Traveller 2020
“One of Australia’s brightest young winemakers.”
Mike Bennie, Voyeur Magazine, May 2018
“Joshua Cooper is one of Australia’s brightest young stars”
Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com 2020
“Gary Farr (By Farr), Joshua Cooper and Robert Walters (Place of Changing Winds) should be
changing perceptions of Australian wine. These are in many cases delicate, elegant, refined wines
that deliver classic varietal expression and defy old stereotypes.”
Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com 2021
“…Using grapes bought in from carefully chosen, non mainstream sources…However difficult the
bottles may be to get into, their contents are pretty impressive.”
Jancis Robinson, The Cool Macedon Ranges with Max, April 2018
“Such a talent, he could choose anywhere to make wine yet Macedon Ranges is home.”
Jane Faulkner Wine Companion June 2023