Welcome to The Love of Wine Part Five. These stories draw on some of the more unlikely experiences that I’ve enjoyed during my working life in wine.

This stunning photograph was produced by our Assistant Winemaker, Tasmin, and it’s hard to deny the cosmic-like qualities of the image. It was taken on a day between processing grapes in January this year. I had decided it was time to finally drain a very special parcel of Shiraz from the skins it had been maturing on for over ten months. This certainly wasn’t the first time we had experimented with extended maturation of Shiraz on skins; in fact, we’ve been doing it since 2018. What made this wine different was that rather fermenting the grapes in a small tank we could seal with a lid, we used a specially designed french oak puncheon (a five hundred litre barrel). 
 

Normally, barrels are out of the question when it comes to fermenting reds as there is usually only a small opening at the top, which allows for filling and emptying via a pump and narrow barrel spear. Basically this means it is near impossible to get crushed grapes in or out of a traditional barrel without a huge mess and prohibitive volume losses. Despite this obvious barrier, I remained determined to bring the benefits of barrel fermentation (like increased complexity, greater depth of flavour, and richer mouthfeel – which is usually reserved for wines like Chardonnay) to our Shiraz. 

Exploring various options, I soon discovered that one of our french oak suppliers, Saint Martin, were happy to offer a specially designed barrel that, in addition to the regular hole on the top, would also feature a much wider opening on the head board (or front) of the barrel. This would allow us to fill the barrel with crushed red grapes (referred to as ‘must’), and some whole berries, with the barrel standing upright. It would remain in this position throughout fermentation so we could access the bubbling must and plunge by hand the cap of skins that rises to the surface. Following fermentation, the opening would be sealed with an expandable silicon bung, and then we could tip the barrel on its side and continue with maturation of the wine as though it were in a barrel like any other. 

While all of this might sound quite straightforward, the actual execution of the plan was much more involved and, at times, entertaining. Filling the barrel through the expanded opening went without a hitch, but once relatively full (we had to leave some headspace for the fermenting cap to rise into) we quickly realised that it was going to be hard to properly mix the must. Inserting our arms to down to the shoulder allowed us to access a reasonable amount at the very top of the crushed grapes, but not much below the first ten centimetres or so. To properly mix the contents of the barrel, we devised a ‘mixing wand’ implement which was in effect a barrel spear with a gas sparger attached to the top. This allowed us to blast in quantities of nitrogen to the bottom of the barrel, which would then turn the contents above. Pleasingly, this worked a treat, particularly alongside the movement generated by our wine soaked arms!

Once fermentation was complete, we hammered the large bung into the head board and after triple-checking that is was securely lodged, we convinced one another it was highly unlikely it would pop out once rotated (though we were far from sure about this). Our next challenge then became how to get the barrel onto its side and into a steel cradle without losing the precious contents or breaking the barrel itself. Here our solution was to bind a timber pallet to the vertically standing barrel with heavy duty ratchet straps and then, using our forklift fitted with a rotating head, we could pick up the pallet and turn until it, and the barrel, were sitting on their side. Following my instructions to stand well clear, our winery team watched with nervous smiles and bated breath as I lifted the pallet and barrel up off the ground – keep in mind a full puncheon weighs over five hundred kilograms. To the sound of straps straining and pallet boards creaking, we managed to safely rotate the barrel ninety degrees until it was resting on the now horizontally grounded pallet, with the bung still in place. From here, it was a relatively straightforward exercise to use the forklift tines to slowly lift and place the full barrel onto a steel cradle, so it could be moved and stacked like the rest of our oak. We were prepared to claim victory – at least for this stage of production.

Almost a year later, we found ourselves once again pacing around the barrel, but this time debating how we would go about emptying it. There was talk of hoisting the barrel skyward, knocking the large bung out, and then catching the contents (a mix of wine and grape skins) into the grape press below. And while the thrilling visions of five hundred litres of red suddenly bursting forth and splashing through the open doors of the press were exciting enough, in the end we settled on a slower (and far more sensible) approach. First, we would use our trusty barrel spear to pump the wine out through the small opening on the top of the barrel and into a waiting receival tank. The line into the tank would spill the Shiraz through a long sieve that would serve to keep the skins from the drained wine.

Given the time the wine had been in contact with its skins, the contents had become somewhat stratified, which meant this step of the emptying process happened with surprising ease. In fact, after we’d successfully collected the first three hundred or so litres of Shiraz, we noted there were amazingly few skins and seeds trapped by the sieve. However, as we discussed with that now familiar sense of nervous excitement, this meant they were still in the barrel and needed to come out!

While the head pressure and subsequent spill would be half of what it was originally, we were still apprehensive about what would happen once we pried out the large bung. Thoughtful discussion soon gave way to bravado, and so under an air of false confidence built on declarations like, ‘Fortune favours the brave,’ and that other Aussie classic, ‘It’ll be right,’ we began to coax the bung out. Gathered with as many buckets as we could muster, the winery team stood ready to capture the precious contents should they burst forth in response to my initially tentative, and then forceful, attempts to remove the very well lodged bung with a rubber mallet and screwdriver.

Fortunately, the final spill came with much less force than we expected; and with the bung removed, we could see how the pile of skins on the bottom of the barrel served to temper the flow of wine. Pausing only briefly to take this fabulous photograph (camera inserted into the larger opening and a pocket torch projecting through the top), we then each took turns to reach into the barrel and drag the soggy skins and remaining liquid into buckets which we then poured through the sieve and into the receival tank. With the barrel drained and the tank full, it was finally time to declare success!
 

As I reflect on the production of what would become the 2023 M BURTON Shiraz, I recall those moments I’ve described with a great sense of happiness. Given the broad production timeline, the team members I reference have changed in face and number with the seasons. But despite the differences in experience and personality, they all responded to the crafting of this wine in exactly the same way – and that is with an almost child-like sense of wonder and excitement. Its making serves to highlight the pure joy that can come from our most creative endeavours; particularly those that present challenges that only our ingenuity and skill can conquer. And even better when the experience is shared with others. 

I believe this is the very essence of what winemaking is about.

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In 2021, we released our first M BURTON wine, the Shiraz I. This was a bold red that sailed Canberra District Shiraz into unchartered waters. In blending parcels from multiple seasons, we removed the limiting concept of vintage from the narrative. This gave us tremendous freedom to seek out otherwise impossible levels of complexity in aroma and flavour, along with an entirely unique tannin profile. This was further enhanced by the fact that the majority of the component wines also spent over a year on their skins. The overwhelming and humbling feedback from wine media and customers alike confirmed the M BURTON Shiraz I was indeed a truly captivating wine, unlike almost any other they had tried.  

We followed up with a second release the next year; the M BURTON Riesling I. Treading a similar path to its sibling, this wine was a blend of no fewer than four vintages of Canberra District Riesling. Individual parcels had been fermented with naturally occurring yeast in small tanks and barrels. Extended lees contact enhanced their mouthfeel and provided a natural protection against oxidation – which was critical given the long maturation times. Once released, endorsement for the wine was equally strong, and very much encouraged us to continue with future productions.  

Now, two new M BURTON wines will shortly become available. Like the other wines in this range, they are both tiny blends (just fifty dozen of each) that continue to demonstrate the spirit of innovation that was so clearly captured with our first releases. While we return the concept of a singular vintage to the production mix, the emphasis on the unique and exotic remains, particularly in reference to the breadth of aromas, flavours and textures we continue to seek. 

With labels bearing scant details aside from my abbreviated name, along with those values I hold closest to me – love, courage and integrity – there are no other wines in our range that so purely express what drives me, and the business, or demonstrate the spirit and collective skillset we are so very fortunate to draw upon in their making. Below, I have offered some more notes around their production, and encourage you to meet these wines when you have the chance. 

Kind Regards,

Matt Burton

P.S. If this story lands with you or sparks any memories of your own unlikely wine experiences, please feel free to send me an email – I’d love to hear from you!

You can read previous editions of The Love of Wine on the News & Events page of our website, here.

Enjoy!