Makers’ Project is a range that celebrates expertise and innovation in wine. It builds on Wolfgang Blass’s original vision to create wines that taste great – wines people want to drink. These are wines our winemakers love to make, wines that highlight innovative quirks and winemaking processes that make them not only tasty, but fresh, original and exciting.
Rather than crushing all the grapes, Makers’ Project Malbec is fermented with a portion of whole berries. This encourages fermentation to take place inside the berry itself, allowing a soft extraction of tannins and a distinctive, fruit driven aroma that sets the wine apart from more traditionally made Malbec. Bright, juicy fruit, notes of spice and a long, smooth finish make this wine simply unforgettable.
Varietal | Malbec |
---|---|
Vintage | 2019 |
Country | Australia |
Region | Multi-Region Blend |
Volume | 750 mL |
Closure | Screw Cap |
Alc/Vol | 14% |
Peak Drinking | Enjoy Now |
Winemaker | Marie Clay |
91 Points | Tyson Stelzer |
Tyson Stelzer
10% matured for 3 months in oak barrels. A lot of Barossa reds enjoy partial whole-berry fermentation, but this is the only one to emblazen it boldly on the front label. More importantly, it's an unashamedly medium bodied, well-gauged juxtaposition between the savoury, dried herb and tomato demeanour of malbec and the juicy black fruit depth that characterises the Barossa. Fine-boned tannins guide a finish of gentle yet confident persistence. Compelling poise.
Home to the oldest vines in the country, and no less than 18 wine growing regions, South Australia accounts for almost 50% of Australia’s wine production. The Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Coonawarra are well known for their world class reds, with Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley and Eden Valley praised for their exceptional Chardonnay and Riesling.
Vintage Conditions
Winter rainfall was well below average, however rains through November and December helped set up canopies for the warm, dry summer ahead. Cooling southerly breezes during most evenings helped temper the hot days, with fruit picked early to retain natural acidity and fresh, bright flavours.
Wolf Blass winemaker Marie Clay discovered wine through her Dad's stellar collection of South Australian reds. Like all good fathers, he stocked up on the birth year of his two daughters. In Marie's case, that just happened to be a lovely bottle of 1979 Wolf Blass Black Label, which was cracked at her 21st birthday.
After graduating in 2000 from the University of Adelaide with first Class honours in Oenology, Marie received the Southcorp wine scholarship. This allowed her to travel and work with the company’s best winemakers across the Australian wine regions of Coonawarra, Barossa, Sunraysia and Great Western. Following these experiences, Marie worked with Lindeman’s for 4 years at both their NSW and Victorian wineries, overseeing white wine production.
In December 2006 Marie joined the Wolf Blass winemaking team in the Barossa, where she relished the opportunity to work with premium red wines from vineyard to bottle. She loves working in a modern winery that allows the fruit's potential to be realised. Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale, the heartland regions of the Grey Label range, are particularly close to her heart.