ARTICLES
Dawson and James
Spitbucket | 8 May 2012
Wineries
"A taste of Tasmania, "
Very few winelovers will have heard of Dawson & James, a new producer “from Tasmania”. Yet almost all winelovers will, at some time in their lives, have enjoyed wines made by one or both of this duo. The two have been friends for more than 35 years, though they are very different people. Peter Dawson is the more reflective, quieter of the pair and a very keen and knowledgeable art collector, while Tim James is much more outgoing, always good for a laugh, and an enthusiastic and very good fly fisherman.
Peter was at Constellation Wines (formerly Hardy's), where he was the Group's Chief Winemaker, and is also the current chairman of the Australian Wine Research Institute. Tim is one of the country's most senior and respected wine judges, also had a long and distinguished history at Hardy's, before moving to spend a considerable time running Wirra Wirra in McLaren Vale.
So why, when they have both worked at the very pinnacle of the industry, go back to basics? As Peter says on their site, "the fact that we're doing this together is the realisation of a long-term friendship, and of sharing wine and discussing it for more than 30 years. We've always had high expectations and standards in terms of our appreciation of wine, and now we've pushed ourselves to make two wines that hold their own with the best in the world. We took the highest quality grapes from a vineyard in Glenora, Tasmania, and with minimal tweaking, have let the grapes do the work. The great satisfaction for me has been going back to a hands on, no compromise winemaking approach."
Tim's view – "We have always enjoyed drinking good Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and in our own ways have endeavoured to push this interest throughout our corporate careers. Now we can have serious fun in our search for quality and innovation, as well as pride in the fact that our philosophy of seeking out the best of the best is achievable. The quantity of wine we make was never the goal. This is just about quality, enjoyment and friendship."
They have focussed on pinot noir and chardonnay, sourcing grapes from the Meadowbank vineyard, approximately 60 kms northwest of Hobart. Chardy and pinot were first planted in 1987 here, with those vines used for the DJ wines going in, in 1989. Hence, vine age is not an issue.
For the pinot, after bunch thinning early in the season in 2010, handpicking took place on April 6, the aim being “a desire to attain bunch stalks and seeds that were lignified at a pleasingly low level of sugar ripeness, and grapes with positive flavour accumulation and bright natural acidity. The desire was not to interfere with the natural chemistry of the resultant wine.” 10% of the whole bunches were retained with the balance being gently crushed into a small open fermenter. Fermentation was left to natural yeasts.
After primary fermentation, the resulting wine was run off. The skins were then basket-pressed, leading to a further fermentation, as a result of the pressing of whole berries. The wine was then racked into French oak barriques, 30% of which were new. The balance were between one and three years old. The wine spent 10 months in oak.
The result according to Peter and Tim? “We believe that we have captured some of the allure of Pinot Noir, but know this is the first step in a never ending quest.”
So far, I have only tried their 2010 Pinot Noir (and am looking forward to the Chardonnay) but what a stunning debut. With the possible exception of an old Bass Philip, this is certainly the most exciting Aussie pinot I’ve seen for some time.
Peter was at Constellation Wines (formerly Hardy's), where he was the Group's Chief Winemaker, and is also the current chairman of the Australian Wine Research Institute. Tim is one of the country's most senior and respected wine judges, also had a long and distinguished history at Hardy's, before moving to spend a considerable time running Wirra Wirra in McLaren Vale.
So why, when they have both worked at the very pinnacle of the industry, go back to basics? As Peter says on their site, "the fact that we're doing this together is the realisation of a long-term friendship, and of sharing wine and discussing it for more than 30 years. We've always had high expectations and standards in terms of our appreciation of wine, and now we've pushed ourselves to make two wines that hold their own with the best in the world. We took the highest quality grapes from a vineyard in Glenora, Tasmania, and with minimal tweaking, have let the grapes do the work. The great satisfaction for me has been going back to a hands on, no compromise winemaking approach."
Tim's view – "We have always enjoyed drinking good Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and in our own ways have endeavoured to push this interest throughout our corporate careers. Now we can have serious fun in our search for quality and innovation, as well as pride in the fact that our philosophy of seeking out the best of the best is achievable. The quantity of wine we make was never the goal. This is just about quality, enjoyment and friendship."
They have focussed on pinot noir and chardonnay, sourcing grapes from the Meadowbank vineyard, approximately 60 kms northwest of Hobart. Chardy and pinot were first planted in 1987 here, with those vines used for the DJ wines going in, in 1989. Hence, vine age is not an issue.
For the pinot, after bunch thinning early in the season in 2010, handpicking took place on April 6, the aim being “a desire to attain bunch stalks and seeds that were lignified at a pleasingly low level of sugar ripeness, and grapes with positive flavour accumulation and bright natural acidity. The desire was not to interfere with the natural chemistry of the resultant wine.” 10% of the whole bunches were retained with the balance being gently crushed into a small open fermenter. Fermentation was left to natural yeasts.
After primary fermentation, the resulting wine was run off. The skins were then basket-pressed, leading to a further fermentation, as a result of the pressing of whole berries. The wine was then racked into French oak barriques, 30% of which were new. The balance were between one and three years old. The wine spent 10 months in oak.
The result according to Peter and Tim? “We believe that we have captured some of the allure of Pinot Noir, but know this is the first step in a never ending quest.”
So far, I have only tried their 2010 Pinot Noir (and am looking forward to the Chardonnay) but what a stunning debut. With the possible exception of an old Bass Philip, this is certainly the most exciting Aussie pinot I’ve seen for some time.
© 2013 Spitbucket
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