Express Winemakers
Great Southern, Western Australia.
Available in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT.
Don’t let the name ‘Express Winemakers’ make you believe that Ryan O’Meara does anything in a hurry. He’s definitely put in plenty of time and effort in the industry, learning the ropes at Forest Hill (the oldest cool climate winery in Western Australia), completing what he refers to as ‘an endless vintage around the world’, and then kicking off his solo experiment in an urban winery in an industrial quarter of Denmark. He established Express Winemakers in Great Southern in 2011 and has been there ever since.
The ‘Express’ in the name refers instead to expression, and Ryan’s unbiased mindset and loyalty towards the region has allowed for the operation’s seamless evolution. His wines are simply bottled personalities of the cool subregions of Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup. We adore his Trappers Gully Chenin and his beautifully fragrant and savoury Syrah, but the winery also holds renown for all kinds of envelope-pushing, with quirky, creative blends and off-the charts experiments as well as these focussed single-site offerings.
O’Meara leases and manages all sites, a portfolio of sources that is on the move as much as he is. Organic practices are upheld and all fruit is hand-picked and crushed by foot. Whole-bunches are mostly employed. Fermentation is natural, ageing occurs in neutral vessels (including old oak and stainless steel) and all wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. O’Meara’s aim of minimal intervention and environmental impact provides us with pure-fruited wines that express a clear sense of place.
Wine
Drinking Wine
Variety
Grenache, Mouvedre, Malbec, Pinot Noir
Terroir
Granite derived gravels and sands
Vineyard
Various Great Southern and Margaret River vineyards
Viticulture
Organic, natural farming (not certified)
Winemaking
Fruit is picked bright and early to retain natural acidity, fermented by native yeast on skins for an average of about three to four days. Pressed to a combination of old oak and stainless steel. It is blended together in the Spring before a small addition of SO2 prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered
L'Orange
Variety
Riesling, Semillon
Terroir
Gravel loam over ferricrete. Gentle north facing slope, altitude 200m, vine age 20 – 40 years.
Vineyard
Clos Du Tertre, Frankland River
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Riesling and Semillon fermented in separate parcels by native yeasts, with an average time on skins of six days. It is pressed to a combination of old oak and ceramic. In the Spring it is assembled and a small addition of SO2 added prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Grape Fields
Variety
Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir
Vineyard
Various Great Southern vineyards
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Co-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Noir. All fermented by native yeast, spending an average of six days on skins.
Foamo Pet-Nát
Variety
Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir
Terroir
Granite derived gravels and sands
Vineyard
Various Great Southern vineyards
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
A co-ferment of Sauvignon Blanc along with Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc, spending a short time on skins before being pressed to a combination of stainless steel and old oak. Fermented by wild yeast, finishing ferment in bottle to provide effervescence.
Blanc
Variety
Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon, Riesling
Terroir
Gravely Loam
Vineyard
Trappers Gully Mount Barker and L’enclos du Tertre Frankland River
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Riesling Picked early for freshness and extra natural acidity. All fermented by wild yeast and part of the Chenin Blanc and Semillon are fermented on skins to provide unique texture and flavour. Fermented and matured in a combination of neutral old oak and stainless steel.
Syrah
Variety
Syrah
Terroir
Gravely loam. Gentle east facing slope, altitude 200m, vine age 25 years.
Vineyard
Trappers Gully, Mount Barker
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Hand-picked and foot stomped Syrah left on skins for 7 – 10 days to ferment naturally before being pressed to old oak barriques and newer puncheons. Racked in the Spring and a small amount of SO2 is added before bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Pinot Noir
Variety
Pinot Noir
Terroir
Sandy loam. Gentle north facing slope, altitude 100m , vine age 20 years.
Vineyard
Oranje Tractor Vineyard, Albany and Toolbrunup Vineyard, Porongurup
Viticulture
Organic
Winemaking
Pinot Noir hand-picked picked bright and early before being foot stomped and pressed off after 6 -7 days to finish ferment in old oak barriques. Racked off solids in the Spring and a small addition of SO2 before bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Rouge
Variety
Shiraz, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc
Vineyard
Various Great Southern vineyards
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Foot stomped and wild fermented. 12 months in seasoned oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur added at bottling.
Chenin
Variety
Chenin Blanc
Terroir
Gravel Loam. North east facing slope, altitude 200m, vine age 25 years.
Vineyard
Trappers Gully, Mount Barker
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Hand picked and basket pressed directly to a combination of old barrels and larger format oak where it ferments naturally and spends the next 10 months untopped a small addition of SO2 is made before bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Great Southern Riesling
Variety
Riesling
Terroir
Gravel Loam. Gentle north facing slope, altitude 200m, vine age 20 – 40 years.
Vineyard
Clos du Tertre, Frankland River
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Grapes are hand-picked before being stomped by foot, left to macerate for 12-24 hours and then basket-pressed to a combination of old oak, ceramic and stainless steel, where wild fermentation takes place on full solids at ambient temperature. The wine is left on full solids for six months, prior to being racked, a small addition of SO2 and bottled without fining or filtration.
Rosé
Variety
Grenache, Mouvedre
Terroir
Gravel and sandy loam. Gentle north west facing slope, altitude 100m, vine age 20 years.
Vineyard
Churchview Estate, Margaret River
Viticulture
Organic, naturally farmed (not certified)
Winemaking
Hand-picked, foot stomped and left to soak before briefly before being pressed to a combination of old barrels, newer large format oak and stainless steel. A small addition of SO2 is made prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Orders
For all order enquiries please get in touch.