Marie Clay has been named Barossa Winemaker of the Year by the Barons of Barossa at the Declaration of Vintage in Tanunda on Sunday.
Marcus Schulz was named Viticulturist of the Year.
Marie Clay has been making wine in the Barossa for Treasury Wine Estates since 2006.
“Dedicated to her craft, she is considered by many to be one of best Riesling makers of her generation and has worked to return the quality of the Leo Buring Rieslings to the glory days of John Vickery,” Barons Grand Master Louisa Rose says.
Marie has been a member of the Barossa Wine Show committee since 2019 and was chair in 2023.
She has played an important role as guest judge at the Advanced Wine Assessment Course and relishes the role of mentoring the next generation of wine show judges.
Marcus Schulz is celebrating his 60th vintage on his family vineyards in Ebenezer in the northern Barossa.
He continues to grow for larger companies such as Torbreck and Penfolds but also supports more than 10 small producers across the region, offering super-premium grapes to help establish new brands.
“His focus is sustainability, his vineyards are recognised by Sustainable Vineyards Australia, certified Organic and farmed biodynamically.
“Marcus is a true community man, always willing to share his immense knowledge and experience and is respected by everyone in the Barossa wine community,” Louisa says.
Vintage
Barons Master Adrian Hoffmann says this vintage is starting to look like “another extraordinary year”.
“Although it looked like an early vintage, the favourable weather in the past few weeks has brought things back to a normal start,” he says.
“Harvesters are at the ready, wineries are prepared as we are expecting it to be a short, sharp and wonderful 2024 vintage.
“With a solid start to winter, the rains fell and soil profiles filled but this was not to last.
“A dry finish to winter plus a dry spring made the vines work during the early part of the growing season.
“We had some of the coldest nights in recent years during this time.
“Whether it is cold or hot, growers need to work within the seasons and weather and every year has it challenges.
“Flowering was a little earlier than average this year due to the dry spring.
“The vines were tested with a late heat event in November, which affected flowering, with an average to slightly below fruitset.”
Growers braced for the expected El Nino, but it did not really arrive or set in.
“Generous December rains with good follow-up has got the vines through to vintage with a warm but cooler than expected summer,” Adrian says.
“The balance between canopy and fruit this year is looking fantastic, which lays the foundation for a terrific vintage.
“With warm to hot days predicted for the immediate future and rain events disappearing from the forecast, along with loose clustered bunches with smaller than average berries, this vintage is starting to look like another extraordinary year.”
Photo: Marie Clay with Marcus Schulz. Photo credit: The Barossa Cellar (Sam Kroepsch Photography).
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