Alpha Crucis Winemakers Series

Less a reinterpretation of Alpha Crucis wines as an experiment of an individual winemakers influence on a wines character and being. Indeed less tribute album and more like handing the same musical notes to Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Patti Smith, Eddie Vedder and David Bowie and seeing what music they all created. Starting with a small batch of Shiraz grapes from Chalk Hills Heritage Lot, Tom Harvey chose six winemakers to help bring his idea to life. Born only out of curiosity, the wines singularly are not intended to be judged, instead designed to be tasted for their range of characters and flavours born out of the creators varying influences. From here it was completely up to the six winemakers to determine how to produce their wine, from picking through to fermentation, filtering and bottle dates. What resulted is six very different Shiraz ,each with the personality of the winemaker shining through. Chalk Hill Alpha Crucis Winemakers' Series Steve Grimley McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 picked Mar 7. Destemmed, whole berries; 9 day open fermentation, plunged three times daily, pumped over every second day, on skins for a further 7 days (16 in total), basket pressed, only free-run juice used, matured in second and third use French oak barriques. Chalk Hill Alpha Crucis Winemakers' Series Corrina Wright McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 picked Mar 2. Hand picked by sorting table, crushed, cooled to 12˚ for 3-day cold soak, warmed and wild yeast open fermentation; after 5 days basket-pressed to oak at 1˚ baume for conclusion of fermentation; racked off gross lees, matured in 25% new French oak hogsheads, the remainder in used oak. Chalk Hill Alpha Crucis Winemakers' Series Peter Schell McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 picked Feb 24. One-third whole bunches, the remainder destemmed, wild yeast open-fermented,15 days on skins, the temperature peaking at 28˚C; pressed to French oak barriques, one-third new (Burgundy coopered), the remainder second and third use. Chalk Hill Alpha Crucis Winemakers' Series Mike Brown McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 picked Mar 1. Crushed to open fermenters, cultured yeast; rack and return and plunged each day; pressed to French oak barriques, 33% new, 67% second use; mlf 3 weeks later in barrel. Chalk Hill Alpha Crucis Winemakers' Series Rebecca Wilson McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 picked Mar 1; crushed to open fermenter, cold soak, cultured yeast, fermentation temperatures oscillating between 17˚C and 22˚C; 70% French, 30% American oak, 15% new and 60% in puncheons. Chalk Hill Alpha Crucis Winemakers' Series Emmanuelle Bekkers McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 picked Feb 29. Bunches destemmed, whole berries chilled to 14˚C for 3-day cold soak; fermentation temperatures cool with 12 days before pressed to new French oak hogsheads and puncheons.