Alex Beckett
It’s almost a cliché to say that winemakers love chardonnay – but that’s because it’s true. Few grape varieties match chardonnay’s ability to express the terroir in which it is grown, not to mention its cheerful ability to grow in a wide range of climates (as opposed to its more finicky red counterpart, pinot noir) and its responsiveness to different winemaking approaches in the cellar. Little wonder then that winemakers Alex Beckett and Jan Taborsky have chosen it as their hero grape variety for their micro-negociant project, Origines, which explores the diverse cool-climate terroirs of New South Wales through the singular lens of chardonnay. They currently craft two single-vineyard chardonnays from sustainably farmed vineyards in Orange and New England, with expansion plans in the works.
