The Other Right

Although having only launched their label in 2012, husband and wife team Alex Schulkin and Galit Shachaf have contributed an enormous amount to the natural wine movement in the Adelaide Hills, and indeed, the wine industry in general.

Their wines are exceptional examples of minimal intervention winemaking, produced without additions or subtractions of any kind. They are expressive, pure and most importantly, delicious! Perhaps this isn't surprising when you know that Alex has worked as a scientist at the Australian Wine Research Institute for the last 10 years. Well, you've got to know the rules before you can break them, right? Alex describes his wines as pushing the boundaries. But they are also wonderfully approachable. His philosophy is simple -

"Our approach is a seemingly lazy one. Winemaking operations are kept to the reasonable minimum. No unnecessary action is taken. Using fewer tools requires a lot of attention to detail, patience, creativity and problem solving. No additives are being used, letting the wine evolve slowly, according to its natural rhythm. Youth and freshness are to shine through, forming wine that is wild, vigorous and full of life."

It's their quest to do things differently that ultimately led to the name, The Other Right. "Right" is a subjective concept, and Alex and Galit believe that it is oversimplifying things to reduce them down to "right" or "wrong." Especially in winemaking, where surely flavour is king.

So next time you're looking for the "right" wine, try the Other Right. You'll be pleasantly surprised where the road leads you.

Click here to see the wines

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FRESH DROPS

This week Fresh Drops is all about Tasmania... New wave Tasmania! We're featuring a couple of producers who ply their trade at two of Tasmania's finest wineries: Mewstone and Meadowbank. However, we're taking a look at their smaller side projects this week, rather than the main estate wines.

The first of these is a label you will no doubt be familiar with: Peter Dredge's Dr. Edge wines. The other is an up-and-comer that we think will soon be making a splash - Luke Andree and his label, Sonnen.

Both producers have released some fine wines from the 2020 vintage, albeit in very tiny quantities, so don't sleep on these, because they won't last.

Luke from Sonnen Wines was generous enough to offer us a set of samples to try, so naturally Felix jumped at the chance to film our thoughts on the wines. Pete was also in attendance. Completely new to us but a very welcome surprise. Delicious wines.

Here are our thoughts -

2020 Sonnen Dancers Chardonnay
I loved this. Cashew, stone fruit, hints of honey, fresh citrus, lovely mid palate weight, framed by that classic Tassie core of acidity. Could drink lots of this. Probably will. - Pete L

2020 Dr Edge South Chardonnay
2020 was a very tough vintage for Peter and a lot of his fruit didn't make the cut so the offering is tighter this year. The fruit for this is from a single site in the Derwent Valley. Naturally fermented in old oak and then left to rest for 9 months on lees. - Pete L

2020 Sonnen Rivers Red
Very light, very bright. I believe it's a 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Syrah blend, certainly tastes like it. Pinot forward, firmly in the tart sour berry spectrum, cranberry, under-ripe cherry, layered savoury undergrowth characters. After some time Mr. Syrah joins the party with a fresh sprinkle of cracked pepper adding an extra layer to quite a delightful thirst quencher. - Pete L

2020 Dr Edge Pinot Noir
Predominantly Derwent Valley fruit with a splash of Tamar Valley. Naturally fermented on skins for two weeks and then left to mature in used oak. Dredgey uses the word "ethereal" to describe the wine... A trigger word for me, but when used with respect usually signals a good time. This wine would benefit from a few years in the cellar otherwise will need air. - Pete L

Take a look at the wines here.

In this week's episode of Is It Called Wine Time?!, Pete and Felix pop the corks on the two new releases from Sonnen Wines. The winemaker is Luke Andree who also happens to be the viticulturalist for Mewstone Wines. Definitely a label to keep your eyes on. Tune in to see our thoughts on this new producer.

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Caroline Morey 2019

Release #1

Caroline Morey and her family lineage is firmly rooted in the fabric of Burgundy.

She comes from a long line of vignerons, including her father Jean-Marc Morey and she also happens to be married to new-wave star, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey. Based in Chassagne-Montrachet, in the Cotes de Beaune, Caroline inherited a portion of her family's vineyards after the retirement of her father, Jean-Marc. She established her own Domaine in 2014.

Not only does Caroline share a state-of-the-art winemaking facility with her husband, she also shares a similar philosophy to PYCM, when it comes to winemaking. This includes natural ferments, no enzyme additions, and minimal use of new oak (never more than 30%). All of her wines are aged in 350L barriques, with very little battonage. All of this results in wines that are fine boned, layered, and delicate expressions of white Burgundy.

Caroline also produces a range of red Burgundies from several plots across the Cote de Beaune. These wines certainly fly under the radar, but represent great quality and value. Chassagne-Montrachet has never been associated with great reds, however Caroline's wines are helping to break that misconception, showing that in the right hands, this region can produce reds worthy of high praise.

See the new Caroline Morey 2019s here.