With over 2,000 wineries and 6,000 winegrape growers in Australia, producing a Halliday Top 100 wine is no small feat, especially in a region that is not traditionally associated with making fantastic Blanc de Blancs.

Perhaps the location and the state of the vineyard only a decade ago, makes this outstanding sparkling even more of a Cinderella story.  Back in 2016 when Karin Adcock became the custodian of the dishevelled former Poole’s Rock Vineyard, not only was the old vineyard in a state of disrepair, it was a whole new ballgame for Karin, with many unknowns.  “I knew the vineyard had a remarkable heritage and enormous potential, but I was entering a completely new industry.  My background was in business, not winemaking, so I surrounded myself with exceptional people who shared my vision.”

Karin’s investment not only in the land itself, but in the ‘exceptional people’ she surrounded herself with seems to be the very backbone of the vineyard’s transformation to all the recent accolades it is accruing.  To discover how one creates a top 100 wine we chatted to Karin and Winmark’s Viticulturalist, one of the exceptional people who shared Karin’s vision, Liz Riley.

Liz reflects that the vineyard was ‘shabby’ at the time that Karin purchased it, but according to Liz, “the site had a pedigree from its early days, so we knew that creating award winning wines was possible with a lot of work, vision and investment.”  Achieving these results isn’t’ the crowning jewel for just one person though, Liz is part of a team including consultant winemaker John Belsham and vineyard manager Dave Grosser.  “We work as a team with Karin on strategy for the vineyard direction” Liz visits the vineyard regularly to support Dave with decision making to get the best possible outcome. “The Hunter can be a tricky region so there is a need to be agile and review plans often.”  Liz believes the secret to Winmark’s success is “attention to detail and timing.  Dave is the master of both, and we see this in the vineyard and the amazing fruit that comes off at harvest each year.”

When it comes to the vineyard block responsible for Biosis’s fine bubbles and refreshing fragrance, it is made from the 548 Burgundy clones, planted in 2017 replacing the old Verdelho vines.  “The grapes are hand-harvested at the beginning of the season in the early morning, to preserve freshness and natural acidity - essential qualities for creating an elegant, refined sparkling wine.” And no, Karin does not leave this to the vineyard crew alone, she is out there with them at the crack of dawn picking the tender berries.

While Blanc de Blancs may not be the first style people associate with Hunter Valley wine, the decision to embark on creating a Blanc de Blancs to accompany Winmark’s range of still Chardonnays seems a sensible progression.  “The decision came from our belief in the quality of the Chardonnay grapes we grow at Winmark. With the entire estate dedicated to Chardonnay, we wanted to explore its potential beyond our still wines and create something that expressed the vineyard in a different way.

Biosis was an opportunity to take our Chardonnay in another direction — creating a traditional-method sparkling wine with elegance, freshness and complexity. It has become a very special part of the Winmark story.”

As for the name, we love Biosis’s origin story.  Karin explains, “We felt compelled to name our Sparkling wine after the Sculpture which founded our Sculpture Park; “Biosis” by David Ball. “Biosis works both from and with the landscape,” David said. Biosis is bound to earth, yet reaches towards heaven in representation of our highest dreams.”  The synergies between Biosis the sculpture and Biosis the sparkling Blanc de Blancs are unmistakable.  To further the connection, Karin arranged to have Biosis’s label based on and inspired by the shape of the sculpture itself.

When asked if she ever expected such accolades for Biosis, Karin is sincere yet slightly glowing: “We certainly believed in the quality of our Chardonnay, but it is always exciting when a wine finds its own place and resonates with people.

Biosis has developed a personality of its own.  It is elegant, celebratory and very much part of the Winmark experience.  I love that it gives people another way to enjoy our Chardonnay, and the recognition it is receiving has been a wonderful surprise and a source of enormous pride.”

Arguably the most important question to ask in an interview about an award-winning wine is:  "Did you make enough for all of us?"  “Well, that is the million-dollar question! We make it in limited quantities, always putting quality before quantity.  We will run out before the next vintage is released in October 2027!  So, if you love it, my advice is to secure a few bottles while you can.”

After all, life is too short not to celebrate with a beautiful glass of bubbles!

By Rachel Fraser.