CRAIG BRENT-WHITE
CO-OWNER AND WINEMAKER AT CAPE NATURALISTE VINEYARD
“Awards are never the reason we make wine, but they are a satisfying acknowledgement that the fruit, site and decisions made in the vineyard all came together particularly well that year.”
When did you realise you wanted to become a winemaker?
Wine was around me from a young age. I grew up in the Swan Valley and some of my earliest memories are of watching grapes being crushed and fermented in a hands-on, traditional way. I wouldn’t say there was one defining moment when I decided to become a winemaker, but that early exposure stayed with me. Years later, once I purchased the vineyard at Cape Naturaliste, the interest became something much more serious.
Please tell us about your career so far.
My path into wine has been anything but conventional. I’m not a formally trained winemaker; much of what I know has come from reading, observing and surrounding myself with people who knew far more than I did, then applying that knowledge to the particular piece of land we have at Cape Naturaliste.
As for my working life, it has largely revolved around the ocean. I’m a Master Mariner, ship’s captain and marine pilot, and have spent decades working in marine industries, from oil and gas to pearling and barramundi fishing in the Kimberley, as well as captaining cruise vessels. I first came to the south west as a young bloke chasing surf, I eventually bought the Cape Naturaliste property in 1980 and planted the vineyard in 1997. Naturally, winemaking developed from there.
What do you love most about being a winemaker?
There are so many sensory and creative elements to it, the smell of the fruit, choosing the oak and later blending the barrels. I particularly enjoy that blending stage: selecting wines from a myriad of barrels is a bit like solving a giant puzzle.
What is your favourite wine, and what food do you typically pair it with?
I’m very partial to Brunello, particularly with a good rib-eye steak cooked medium rare. It’s not a complicated pairing, but it’s hard to beat.
Is there a specific process you follow when developing a new wine?
We tend not to start with too many fixed ideas. The quality and personality of the fruit usually determine the direction we take in the winery. Once the wine has spent some time in barrel, we assess individual parcels and start looking at how they might work together.
From there, it’s a process of tasting, blending and adjusting until we arrive at something that feels balanced and true. That philosophy extends to the vineyard as well. We try to avoid unnecessary intervention and allow the site, season and fruit to have the strongest influence on the wine.
Is there any vintage you’re particularly proud of creating? Why?
The 2018 vintage is one we’re particularly proud of. It was a strong year for us and produced wines with excellent concentration, balance and ageing potential. Two wines from that vintage went on to receive significant international recognition: the 2018 Torpedo Rocks Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 97 points and Gold at the International Wine & Spirits Competition, while the 2018 Sextant also received 97 points and Gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Awards are never the reason we make wine, but they are a satisfying acknowledgement that the fruit, site and decisions made in the vineyard all came together particularly well that year.
How does the local climate/soil affect the wine you make?
Enormously. Our vineyard sits in a valley behind the Cape Naturaliste coastline, so the maritime influence is very strong.
The combination of ocean temperatures, wind and the property’s varied topography has a major influence on how and when the fruit ripens. The soils are unusually diverse too. We’re on the coastal limestone belt, with alluvial river silts, quartz gravel and black loams over limestone.
These soil types don’t necessarily run neatly with the vineyard rows, and we often harvest individual sections or panels of the row separately, ensuring each parcel is picked at optimum ripeness. The undulating site gives us excellent natural drainage, while underground springs provide moisture during the growing season; we’ve essentially been dry grown since irrigation was turned off in 2003. All those factors contribute to fruit with concentration and a very strong sense of place.
Which of your own varieties do you typically indulge in?
Most of them, depending on the mood, how much trouble I’m in at home and what’s on the table. We work with quite a range of varieties, so what I reach for also tends to change with the weather. That’s part of the reward of having your own winery and a good cellar of vintages to select from when the occasion arises.
Where do you see yourself in five years? How do you think your winemaking will evolve during this time?
Hopefully spending a little more time fishing and a little less time working.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Cape Naturaliste Vineyard has always been a very personal project for us. It’s a small property with a lot of character, both in the vineyard and in the history of the place. I think that personal connection is an important part of both the wines and the experience people have when they visit.