 CHARLES SVENSON OF DE SALIS WINES
(The Unauthorized Version)
It was early in the vintage of 1999 at Canobolas-Smith in Orange NSW when the 'invasion' occurred. Winemaker, Murray Smith told me that a group of people were coming on the weekend to do some picking of grapes, mainly Cabernet Franc, which they were to take back to Manly Vale in Sydney and ferment them in their garage. I remember asking if they were Italian, doing what a lot do, but more so in western Sydney, bless them. “No, they're all Microbiologists,” was the reply!
I used the word 'invasion,' but in reality the numbers weren't great, but more a level of energy rarely seen. Charlie and Loretta with their two boys, Andrew and wife Deborah, and Martin. Not an insignificant personality among them. I remember a good chatty Saturday night, and by early afternoon Sunday they were overloaded and on their way east.
The 2000 vintage came and I headed back to Orange for a four or five week stint and just like Louie, 'they were back.' And this was how it happened for the next several years. Vintage at Canobolas-Smith became almost a social occasion, one that you looked forward to as the new year took hold.
With their particular interest in Cabernet Franc the three 'boys' called themselves 'The Francateers' which may pull an enchanting chord or two, but I couldn't describe any of them as cute! And they also, winsomely referred to their place of production: the garage, as the 'Garagister Winery.' But it all made sense in a way as you got to know all of them quite well or well enough! For a start, 'Vintage' means close work of up to 15 hours a day only interrupted by sleep, which in my case was a tent in a paddock adjacent to the winery. Pretty intensive schooling really.
Of the three, Charlie was the one who was 'in the place' in an emotional and life sense for serious winemaking. An activity to be totally enjoyed, and he has Loretta to 'steady the ship.'
Charlie likes to keep himself busy! And he seems to like large projects into which he fully immerses himself. During many nights, firstly during Vintages at Murray's and later more socially, parts of their the story came out. He and Loretta had a fishing boat business off Cape York for some years before returning to Sydney and buying a Taxi. From memory at about 32 years he did his matriculation and ten years later was a research scientist, and as he quaintly puts it: 'experimenting with ethanol.' Nearly everyone else's 'experimenting' was far less formal! Anyway, this is how he times his 'wine bug' uptake.
 The plan from Charlie's point of view was to be making wine on their own property and this quest deserves its own paragraph. I reckon Charlie would know as much as any Real Estate agent in the district, but added to that and way beyond any salesperson's capacity, he also made a detailed evaluations of so many properties all in a grape growing focus. It took eight years to establish De Salis in the real sense and produce the first vintage. “During this time he spent those vintages learning the dark art of minimalist wine crafting from the eclectic Murray Smith, and finally acquiring one of Australia's most ideally located, stunningly beautiful and highest wine grape growing locations, the Lofty Vineyard at 1050m, on the slopes of Mount Canobolas near Orange.”
“Our minimalist winemaking philosophy is borne from a desire to capture the seasonal ebb and flow, the intersection of our wines with their micro environment and create wines that challenge the 'industrial' wine culture.
All our wines are hand made in our winery by Charlie and the 'odd' friend that pops in at vintage. We hand pick our grapes in 1.0 to 1.5 tonne batches at an array of profiles, cold soak and hand plunge the reds. We barrel ferment our whites with the native yeast from our vineyard as well as French strains selected for their finesse. When fermented with the 'wild' yeast we label our wines accordingly. The 'Wild' range of De Salis wines are not of lesser quality to our other wines, they are just different and are so named to allow you to understand the difference.”
The original vineyard was planted by 'renowned Orange Horticulturist,' David Gartrell in 1993 with Merlot and Chardonnay. Already Charlie and Loretta have grafted on Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc (no surprise) and Pinot Meunier. It is a changing garden and as I say, he likes large projects. With any conversation you have with him, it is interesting, almost always there is a hint of what is planned for future wines.
Charlie has made a number of wines over a number of years, but 2009 was the first unique De Salis vintage. As mentioned in the SWTD November Notes, Wine Judge, Steve Webber at the Orange Wine Show 2010 in reference to the 2009 De Salis Pinot Noir in its Top Gold two Trophy performance: “We found one (Pinot) that was artisan in its style and quite an exciting wine.” The point to me is not so much the awards, while exciting enough, but more so the 'potential energy, ' if I can put it that way, behind the label which is probably hotter.
Cellar Door is on the way and a visit is a must. Ask Charlie about any of his wines and you will get incredible and articulate detail, delivered in an indefatigable style. Charlie and Loretta are good for what is good about the local wine industry, and they love a beer!
Reference:
Small amounts from the De Salis web page, and the rest from my own endurance and enjoyment.
|
