Mt Barker red wines put to the test

Red wine varieties from Mt Barker are being analysed as part of an award-winning young viticulturist's research project.

Bunbury-based Department of Agriculture and Food wine and grape researcher Richard Fennessy, 34, won a $19,000 grant last year after claiming the grape and wine category of the Science and Innovations Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Mr Fennessy is investigating the influence climate has on the effectiveness of a technique used by some winemakers called pre-fermentative cold maceration, or cold soak, on red wines.

The cold soak method involves chilling crushed grapes before fermentation begins in a bid to boost extraction of colour and flavour, and enhance wine quality.

Shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot from Mt Barker and Swan Valley were blind tasted by a panel of nine winemakers in December and this month to determine differences between cool and warmer wine regions using the treatment, and assess evolution of the wines' charac- ter over time left in the bottle.

Mr Fennessy said the wine style of Mt Barker merlot was found to be influenced by the treatments.

"Without a cold soak, the wines were very fruity and with a cold soak they were deemed more complex," he said.

As well as scrutiny of colour, aroma and palate by winemakers, the wines are being analysed by the Australian Wine Research Institute in South Australia to assess their chemical composition.

Mr Fennessy said findings were expected to be finalised in September.