Winemaker Notes
2019 was made from estate grown Shiraz harvested in the early morning hours. The fruit was destemmed and crushed into the press and immediately drained to tank in order to attain the desired color and flavor profile. After cold settling and fermentation, the wine was left on yeast lees for 4 weeks before bottling.
Alkoomi (a name taken from a local aboriginal dialect meaning “a place we chose”) is a family owned and operated winery run by Sandy and Rod Hallett. Their fruit is 100% estate grown in the cool climate of Frankland River, a few hours drive southeast of Margaret River.
Sandy’s parents planted the first vines in 1971, producing wine five years later. The vineyard shares similar climatic conditions to those found in Bordeaux. The vineyard is located fifty miles inland from the Southern Ocean, resulting in good winter rains and dry ripening months. Summer days and evenings are cooled by fresh sea breezes, enabling ideal slow ripening of grapes.
All vines are pruned by hand and no herbicides or pesticides are in the vineyard. Any water used during production comes directly from rain collected in dams or tanks. From 2013, solar panels have been installed to minimize carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency.
Today, Sandy and Rod along with winemaker Andrew Cherry work in and oversee all facets of the vineyard and winery. Alkoomi is recognized for its elegant Cabernet, Shiraz and Cabernet blends, while their Riesling has helped establish the reputation of Frankland River as a premier Australian region for this varietal.
Occupying the tip of Western Australia’s spectacular southern coastline is a wine region of impressive natural diversity called the Great Southern. Here cool climate loving varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grow in vineyards hugging its jagged coastlines.
Farther inland, among Great Southern's rolling hills and flatlands, a more pronounced temperature shift between day and night is perfect for the the production of exciting Riesling wines as well as impressive Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.