The Auswine Forum

We were discussing Ernst Loosen at work yesterday and i remebered he featured in Decanters top 10 worldwide white winemakers. i pulled out the issue this morning to have a look at the list again. amazing list of who's who -
1. Anne-Claude Leflaive Domanine leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet
2.Dominique Lafon Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Meursault
3. Egon Muller IV Scharzohof, Saar
4. Ernst Loosen Weingut Dr Loosen, Mosel
5. Jean-Francois Coche Domaine Coche-Dury, Meursault
6. Jeffrey Grosset Grosset Wines, Ciun lare Valley
7. Didier Dagueneau Domaine Didier Dagueneau, Pouilly-Fume
8. Olivier Humbrecht Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Alsace
9. Pierre Trimbach Maison Trimbach, Alsace
10. Dr Manfred Prum Wingut JJ Prum Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
10. Rick Kinzbrunner Giaconda, Beechworth

Great to see two very deserving aussies in the list. Just wondering who would make everyones top 10 white winemakers in australia. only rule is they have to be currently working -

Mine would be -
1. Rick Kinzbrunner Giaconda
2 Geoffrey Grosset Grosset wines
3. Tom Carson ex yering station now Yabby lake
4 Sandro Mosselle Kooyong
5. Martin shaw and Michael Hill smith Shaw and Smith
6. louisa Rosa Yalumba
7. Denis Horgan Leeuwin
8. Andrew Spinaze Tyrrells
9. andrew wigan Peter lehmann
10. phil ryan Mount pleasant

After the top two no particular order all as good as each other.

Jamie

JamieH wrote:
7. Denis Horgan Leeuwin

Is Denis Horgan really the winemaker at Leeuwin??

Easy to overlook Bob Cartwright I guess.

My apologies to Paul Atwood and Damien North the winemakers at Leeuwin, i put Denis in because Mr Cartwright has left. i also wasn't sure i should include Bob Cartwright as he is now a consultant winemaker for a few different vineyards of which i haven't personally seem anything as stunning as his Leeuwin Art Chardonnays. in hindsight, he is the king of MRiver chardonnay and should have made my list, but who do you kick out?

Well, I'd kick Denis Horgan out for a start. I am not sure he has ever made a wine in his life. And the current winemakers would still be making the Chardy to Cartwright's "formula" I would think.

Quite right Davo, having a shocker aren't I, Denis Horgan out! can you think of anyone else?

Another excellent white wine maker, ex of Wolf Blass and now back at home at Veritas, making the whites for Rolf's many labels as well as heaps on contract:-

Christa Binder-Deans

Have no idea how the white winemaking duties are shared at Tahbilk but the team there does a very good job across the large number of varietals produced.

1. Rick Kinzbrunner Giaconda
2. Phillip Jones Bass Phillip
3. John Thomson Crawford River
4. Nat White Main Ridge

Daryl Douglas wrote:Have no idea how the white winemaking duties are shared at Tahbilk but the team there does a very good job across the large number of varietals produced.

Daryl, I too would be interested in seeing the answer to the feeling about the Tahbilk whites. I Have been drinking their marsanne and would love to find some of their others on local shelves here in the states. In particular their rousanne (cellar door only?) their semillon, and their riesling. Probably some others, but those will do for a start.

Vanya Cullen is worthy of contention. Bill Pannell of Moss Wood/Picardy fame also.