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.

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. 

Vibrant garnet, Blanche Barkley shares many characteristics with our Balgownie bottling, intense and creamy cassis fruit, lavender and graphite, in an intriguing dried bay complexity. 

Medium bodied and brightly lit, the palate is full of black currant and black cherry fruit, subtle spice and incredibly long with layers of fine grained, powdery tannin.

An exceptionally balanced wine, it is enjoyable now with a decant and will cellar well into the future for additional complexity.

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