Colmar Estate Retains Five Red Stars in Halliday 2027

When we started Colmar Estate 13 years ago, we set out to make really good wine. The vineyard and the region clearly had great potential; our aim was to realise it. At the time, we had no idea whether we would succeed, let alone whether we would be recognised for our efforts.

With this background I’d have to say that we are a just little chuffed that Colmar Estate has been awarded Five Red Stars with the Halliday Wine Companion for the second year running.

Halliday says this of a Five Red Star rating: Outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity.

Typicity is an interesting word. It refers to how faithfully a wine expresses the varietal character of a grape variety grown in a specific region. Put simply, a pinot noir should smell and taste like pinot noir. And a pinot noir from Orange should express the region, with distinctive characteristics that set it apart from other quality pinot regions.

What’s our secret? Well, our approach from the beginning was quite straightforward:

• Get the varieties right for our cool site. The old plots of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, both of which need some warmth, were grafted to pinot noir and chardonnay.
• Only make single vineyard wines, thereby control the quality of the fruit. Fruit quality drives wine quality. Colmar Estate has never purchased any fruit. It’s always been home-grown.
• Keep grape yields modest. In other words, we don’t ask the vines to produce too much fruit, which could lead to dilution, uneven ripening, and increased risk of mould.
• When harvest time comes around, we exclusively hand-pick which is a very gentle, selective process. Only top quality fruit goes to the winery, allowing for a soft touch, minimal intervention approach by the winemakers. You see the benefit in every wine we make.
• If we buy oak, we buy high quality French oak puncheons. No oak chips! 

Every step was designed to ensure quality; the typicity simply flowed from that.

Given the latest Halliday rating it’s nice to pause and reflect for a moment about the initial vision, the colleagues who helped us in the vineyard and the winery, and all the blood, sweat and tears.

But we are not resting on our laurels. The last 13 years have provided us with insight into the styles of wines we wish to make in the future, given the right vintage conditions. Believe me, there will be plenty more wines of exemplary quality and typicity to come.