In a bold statement for a large producer, the commitment to organics by Angove is absolute, with all 500 hectares of the family vineyard holdings either certified organic (ACO) or just completing their conversion and awaiting certification. The Warboys Vineyard, on McLaren Vale’s Chalk Hill Road, is certified both organic and biodynamic.
“When we purchased the Warboys Vineyard in 2008, the soil was heavy and compacted from years of tractor use,” says group viticulturist Nick Bakkum. “We have farmed the site organically and biodynamically since day one. Now the soil is alive and healthy. …It’s packed with nutrients, insects, spiders and worms. The whole vineyard feels alive. This has transformed the quality of the grapes… Healthy vines and the best tasting grapes means we have realised the potential of this fantastic site.”
Bakkum notes that though they saw immense potential in the gnarled old vines, achieving premium fruit went beyond the conversion to organic methods. The eradication of chemicals was naturally essential for vine and soil health, but their prior excessive, prescriptive use was bult around a philosophy of extreme high yields with no eye to quality. That saw double cordons (the horizontal arms of the trunk that produce the shoots for the season’s crop) reach up to 4 metres long, which necessitated a complete overhaul of the vineyard’s architecture, alongside its farming.
“The results took a while to come through,” says Bakkum, “but at the end of the [organic] conversion period, the grapes that had initially ended up in a $10 wine were now of sufficient quality to make the grade of our ‘Medhyk’ Shiraz, at the time our highest priced bottle. They are now crafted into three single vineyard wines under the Warboys Vineyard label that truly reflect this remarkable piece of vineyard history.”
“The wines are supple and expressive, taking time to open up and reveal their true beauty – they have a richness in the palate but like the vineyard there is also a delicate note to them. We are now seeing the full potential of what we knew was a wonderful site but one that had been somewhat neglected for many years.”
The site was first planted in 1942 to shiraz, with further additions made in the ’50s, ’60s and ’90s including a couple of hectares of grenache. All other additions have been made by the Angove family, with there now being just under 10.5 hectares of vines. Those newer plantings include just under a hectare of fiano, in an exploration of the variety from Campania, Italy, that has proven to perform well in the heat, such as in Sicily, and is finding some real traction in the Vale. Carignan, which is similarly adapted to the warmth in the south of France has also been planted.
“Climate Change is real,” says Bakkum. “We take an approach of both mitigation and adaptation, reducing our carbon footprint where we can throughout the entire winegrowing and winemaking process and looking at alternative ways to grow our grapes and manage our vineyard, including alternative varieties and alternative management techniques. Fiano loves the Mediterranean conditions we experience here in McLaren Vale. We wish we had more fiano every year; it is delicious and sells like hot cakes!”
For Bakkum, evolving the viticulture to match a changing climate is a necessity, but the idea of mitigation is a critical issue, and the greater responsibility, both ethically and practically. “We always think about the bigger picture, about leaving the land and the greater environment in a better state than we found it for the next generation. The soil and our site are the precious resources that deliver us a living; if we do not nurture it and help it thrive the sustainability of the entire business is in jeopardy”
That “better state” means a more resilient and balanced vineyard nestling harmoniously into a revitalised local environment – it’s a win-win situation. “We have recently planted 600 trees, shrubs and grasses along our winter-flowing creek to encourage beneficial insects and birds that helps us with our vineyard pest population,” Bakkum says. “These plants are growing well, positively contributing to our vineyard’s biodiversity.”
Bakkum also leans on other natural solutions to control pests, with a colony of microbats tending to problematic insects and a flock of Indian runner ducks tasked with reducing the snail population, while all agricultural inputs are naturally organic. “Being certified organic and biodynamic, we use no artificial herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers. We have developed special under-vine mowers to mulch the weeds, and then fold them back into the soil. We also extensively use mulch under the vines to smother the weeds and provide nutrients back into the soil.”
The Warboys Vineyard is also home to the Angove cellar door, acting as the showpiece for Australia’s largest producer of organic wine. In keeping with their sustainable manifest, the cellar door is completely powered by solar panels, and given the abundant sunshine and daytime operating hours, it also returns power to the grid. Given the long history and meticulous farming methods, it’s no surprise that Angove wants the Warboys Vineyard to be front and centre.
“The earth has a spring in it that certainly was not there when we started practicing organic and biodynamic practices over 12 years ago,” says Bakkum. “This certainly flows through to the grapes that we grow and the wines we make from this sensational piece of McLaren Vale. The wines are supple and expressive, taking time to open up and reveal their true beauty – they have a richness in the palate but like the vineyard there is also a delicate note to them. We are now seeing the full potential of what we knew was a wonderful site but one that had been somewhat neglected for many years.”
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