“I have a dream,” he said, “of producing a bone-dry, barrel-fermented, age-worthy chenin that could make me famous, even if it takes 10 or 15 years.”
But Wright was determined. And to help him achieve his goal, he asked Bob Cartwright, the legendary ex-Leeuwin Estate winemaker, to give him a hand. As I wrote at the time, the result was fantastic: a “reserve” chenin that was “lean and taut, full of the flavour of green apple skin laced with minerals, destined for a very long life in the cellar”.
“I worked in the cellar door when I was at uni,” she says. “I’ve always enjoyed wine and been quite passionate about it. After I had my first baby in Paris and then came home, Dad was keen for me to get on board with the vineyard, and I saw an opportunity. I felt we had a good product; we just needed to repackage it and give it a bit more life.”The Wrights started by reducing the number of wines on offer and modernising the label. They also hired– of leading new-wave Margaret River label L.A.S.
When Julian Wright’s daughter Natalie Wright came on board at Marri Wood Park, she focused the range and hired young winemaker Nic Peterkin. Winemaker Nic Peterkin says “there’s just something very unique and beautiful” about Marri Wood Park.