Our Process
The process of producing the wines is done under the most impeccable innovative techniques, using only the fruits of the vines so that all of the flavours, nutrients and essential minerals are captured within the wine, making the wines vibrant and full of zest, like no other. With just a taste of any Bonics wine, you can feel the dedication, inspiration and passion put into crafting this outstanding wine.
Maintaining an excellent Terroir
Our soil is a heavy clay based loam high in natural nutrients and beneficial microbes.
The loam has an excellent water holding capacity and yet when there are heavy levels of rain, any excess water easily runs off the top into the creek bordering our estate or, into either of our two natural lakes. Generally our rainfall is reasonably low which of course means that we’re less prone to disease pressures.
During the ripening season we also benefit from good continuous heat units throughout the day and then in the winter relatively cold conditions when the vines are dormant. In keeping with our biodynamic practices we periodically apply compost to the vines. This is made up of a mix of essential minerals including lime and rock dust, straw, natural phosphates (dung from the estate cows) and guano.
The mix is turned into a liquid by using rainwater and is stirred in a particular manner that encourages air to penetrate the entire mix. This aeration is important as it improves the quality of the compost and is only applied to the vines in the evening when the plants are resting.
Choosing the right time to harvest
As with everything we do on the estate, our aim is to achieve the perfect balance between elegance and complexity in the flavor profile.
With both our Chardonnay and Shiraz, we are looking for flavor which is biased towards elegance rather than high sugar content. An indication of full ripeness for us is when the seeds are a rich brown colour.
Specifically with the Shiraz, we also look for a very ripe plumy flavor with hints of wild berries and a silky, almost velvety texture to the thick skins.
Fortunately, because of the way we have raised and looked after our vines, the fruit never suffers from acidic or bitter flavors. Another benefit of our biodynamic practices is that the fruit ripens evenly, as each vine is in tune with its neighbor and environment.
Handling the fruit with reverence
The first thing we do in the winery is gently de-stem the fruit using more bespoke equipment (we only use the fruit itself, never the stems or stalks). We then lightly crush the grapes just enough to allow the concentrated flavors and energy to burst out without damaging the seeds.
In fact, everything in the winery is done so as not to force the fruit or juice in any way whatsoever. By handling things this way the maximum amount of flavor, phytonutrients, antioxidants and essential minerals are preserved within the wine itself – this is a key part of what gives our wines so much vibrancy.
After the gentle crushing action the juice is allowed to sit on the skins. With our Chardonnay we allow this to happen for an extended period.
During fermentation, juice is very gently raised up from the lower section of the vat to lightly rain over the surface. In this way the skins are never allowed to cap the surface and slow down the fermentation process. The pump we use to move the juice is an Auger pump which gently brings the juice to the top of the vat using an Archimedes screw action.
Developing vibrant and elegant flavors without losing purity
We like to call our fermentation process an eco multi-flora fermenting process. This is a fundamental key in develop the unique elements we are looking for when bringing together the different batches of wine.
We use what’s commonly called “wild fermenting” however we may also add small amounts of naturally cultured yeast too so as to give the wine hints of spicy notes – hence the eco multi-flora aspect to the process.
After fermentation, the wine is slowly filtered through the skins. The skins, sediment and seeds are then again gently pressed, making sure that none of the wonderful properties of the fruit are lost. After this, the pressed juice is stored separately just like the different batches of filtered wine. We allow Maceration with some of the wine, but only for a short while, as we don’t want our wine to become too one dimensional.
While the wine is maturing we gently stir the lees every week, encouraging the nutrients to remain more vibrant and giving the wine greater energetics.
None of our wine goes through a fining process as it isn’t required and because we don’t like the idea of stripping out the goodness or personality of the wine.
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