Winemaking Philosophy

The most important aspect of winemaking at Plantagenet Wines is the question "When do we pick?" This is so critical to the resulting wine, that the saying "all the winemaking is done in the vineyards" really holds true.

So what gives you that tap on the shoulder and shouts PICK! For us it is FLAVOUR. The only way to make sure that you have the right flavours is to taste the grapes, and that involves getting the winemaker at the coal face; into the VINEYARD. Sure baume and acidity levels are very important and help guide decision making but ulitmately flavour takes precedence. We spend a fair degree of Vintage traveling through South West Western Australia looking at vineyards and tasting the fruit.

Some varieties in particular, such as Sauvignon Blanc, have a very small picking window and it is critical that you catch them at the right time. Other varieties, such as Semillon or Cabernet Sauvignon, are more forgiving and allow you some space to promote flavours at both ends of the ripeness spectrum.

So how do we treat our three flagship varieties? i.e those which are well suited to the Great Southern Region of Western Australia. Click on the variety to find out! Riesling, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon