The history is palpable at Morris Wines, the Rutherglen winery where fifth-generation winemaker David Morris has just celebrated 20 years at the helm.
The cobwebs have been allowed to gather on the old pot still that was last used about 30 years ago.
But two basket presses that were installed soon after World War II are still in use. David says their gentle handling of the fruit is a key to softening the tannins that Rutherglen grapes have in abundance.
They also use an old Whitehill crusher: “It’s slow compared with a more modern crusher but … the beauty about it is there’s a little bit of stalk inclusion which is now becoming a bit more trendy.”
Time-honoured techniques continue to hold this 154 year old company in good stead. It also uses open fermenters, the submerged cap holding the skins down in the juice, producing what David describes as “layers of flavor.”
After vintage is over for Morris’s rich, full-bodied reds, the open fermenters are used for Port, Muscat and Tokay, wines that are among some of Australia’s, if not the world’s, finest fortifieds.
There’s history in the barrels as well, all 300 or so of them, in various sizes, some with a capacity of up to 550 litres. David’s father, Mick, who relinquished the role of chief winemaker to David after spending 40 years in the job, points out an old barrel made from Baltic oak and says, “You wouldn’t get that thickness of oak these days.”
Mick knows the barrel is well over a century old because the local cooper who made it went out of business in 1900 when phylloxera hit the region.
David is grateful for the legacy he has been left. “The old barrels have a tight grain to them and now they’re a fantastic vessel for maturing fortifieds because you don’t want the oak (to flavour the wine).”
Although he had made table wines with his father before taking over in 1993, David never realised how much work was involved in making fortifieds. “There’s always so much unfinished business. It’s all a work in progress.”
His efforts have clearly paid off, as during his time at the helm, Morris wines have amassed more than 4,250 awards, including 337 trophies and 1,399 gold medals.
David’s great great grandfather, George Francis Morris, established a vineyard and winery near Rutherglen in 1859 and by 1884 it was the largest wine producer in the district. Today, it is still a key player, producing
more than 50 percent of Australia’s Topaque (formerly known as Tokay) and being Rutherglen’s biggest producer of Muscat.
David’s father, Mick, was the first in the family to be university educated, gaining a Bachelor of Science at Roseworthy before returning to Rutherglen for his first official vintage in 1953.
In 1969, Mick sold the company, which ended up in the hands of the global Pernod Ricard group. Remarkably, Mick and subsequently David have continued to be hands-on in the business, preserving its family feel and great sense of history.
Mick still does some tasting and blending with David. “We’ve got very similar philosophies,” says Mick. “It’s always very considered; there’s no heat of the moment,” adds David.
In 1954, Mick made his first Durif, then labelled Claret, and this rich, full-bodied wine has since developed a cult following. But it is the fortifieds that Morris is planning to take to the world.
“We’re putting more spotlight on them to elevate them to the level they should be,” says David. “We’re looking at more international distribution in the UK, Belgium and Scandinavia. We don’t believe anyone does what Rutherglen can do in terms of Muscat and Topaque.”
Morris plans to introduce some regional wines as part of its Five Generation series, including a wild ferment Chardonnay from the King Valley and a Heathcote Shiraz. But don’t expect huge changes. “We’ve never really chased trends,” says David. “If it’s not broken, you don’t fix it.”