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Tyson Stelzer
The word was all over Margaret River. “Xanadu is in trouble,” a local told me. “The owners can’t pay their bills and they’re losing their growers.” That was four years ago, and just a few months later the Rathbone Wine Group had swooped in to the rescue.
My, how quickly things can change. Like the Greek myth of Midas, it seems that everything the Rathbones touch turns to gold. First Yering Station, then Mount Langi Ghiran and Parker Coonawarra Estate and now Xanadu, in what can only be described as the most remarkable comeback of recent wine history. Quite simply, there is no Australian company whose wines have ascended as swiftly as those of Xanadu.
“After a ten year rollercoaster ride at Xanadu, I'm now truly proud of the direction we are heading," winemaker Glenn Goodall said to me recently. “This year marks a turning point for us with all of the wines grown and bottled under the Rathbone family ownership.”
And what a turning point this year has been. I was judging the Sydney Royal Wine Show at the beginning of the year when a Margaret River Chardonnay stopped me in my tracks and took out The Best Commercial White Trophy. When it was unveiled after the judging as Xanadu Next of Kin there was a buzz around the judging room – this was the first that any of us had heard of this new release. It caused an even greater stir when word came out that it would retail for just $18.
This result seemed to set the pace for the release of Xanadu’s wines throughout the year. And an extensive range it is, from the sensational budget Dragon line, through the brand new Next of Kin portfolio and up to Xanadu’s beautifully crafted Estate and Reserve wines.
When I caught up with Glenn I asked him how it is that a range of wines can improve so dramatically, so quickly.
He explained that the initiatives have been first and foremost in the vineyards. “We pruned some of our vineyards with a bobcat and planted them to more appropriate varieties and clones,” he explained. “Over the past four years we have replanted twenty percent of our vines. We are also working hard on reducing yields, improving drainage, playing with canopy management and trellising and making careful use of compost.”
Xanadu’s efforts on the ground have seen the purchase of new vineyards, providing “some really special parcels of fruit to play with. We have also been busy rekindling relationships with some fabulous growers across different subregions of Margaret River. We now source from vineyards with some of the oldest vines in the region.”
The effect of these vineyard initiatives has been a dramatic improvement in fruit quality. “We have embraced the concept of growing wine, not just grapes,” Glenn explained. “Our aim is to try to make wine with real personality and allow the fruit to shine through. The Rathbones have given us a blank slate and the freedom to give the wines a personality.”
This momentum has been self-perpetuating. “Local growers with great vineyards have seen what we've been creating in recent years and it’s been fantastic to have them contacting us, wanting to get on board!” Glenn exclaimed.
Things have changed in the winery at Xanadu, too. Glenn is keeping fruit parcels separate and making everything in smaller batches. “We now have the most expensive water tanks in Western Australia!” he pointed out. “We only use small tanks for wine, so the big 190kL tanks that were bought under the previous owners are good for nothing but water!”
At blending time, Rathbone Wine Group Director Gordon Gebbie and Owner Darren Rathbone join Glenn for the classification tastings. “Their decisions are for the long-term,” said Glenn, “and they are always focused on wine quality. When I suggested that the 2006 vintage was not up to Reserve standard, they were happy for us not to release any Reserves.”
It has been through uncompromised attention to detail in the vineyards, the ferments (some wild), the barrels (all French) and the blends that Xanadu has been able to secure the enviable position that it has attained this year. Glenn’s meticulous attention to the small details is exemplified in his Next of Kin Chardonnay. “I trialled small additions of Viognier because I could see that it made a difference,” he explained. He settled on just one percent. And this epitomises Glenn – the attention to the one percent detail that makes the difference.
Xanadu may have come a long way in four years, but there is still much to look forward to. “We have lots of new plantings only starting to come on,” Glenn explained. “Some have not even been picked yet. There are exciting things still to come!”
As the song says, “The dream that came through a million years, that lived on through all the tears, it came to Xanadu.” The sentiment seems strangely appropriate. “Xanadu, now we are here.”
My, how quickly things can change. Like the Greek myth of Midas, it seems that everything the Rathbones touch turns to gold. First Yering Station, then Mount Langi Ghiran and Parker Coonawarra Estate and now Xanadu, in what can only be described as the most remarkable comeback of recent wine history. Quite simply, there is no Australian company whose wines have ascended as swiftly as those of Xanadu.
“After a ten year rollercoaster ride at Xanadu, I'm now truly proud of the direction we are heading," winemaker Glenn Goodall said to me recently. “This year marks a turning point for us with all of the wines grown and bottled under the Rathbone family ownership.”
And what a turning point this year has been. I was judging the Sydney Royal Wine Show at the beginning of the year when a Margaret River Chardonnay stopped me in my tracks and took out The Best Commercial White Trophy. When it was unveiled after the judging as Xanadu Next of Kin there was a buzz around the judging room – this was the first that any of us had heard of this new release. It caused an even greater stir when word came out that it would retail for just $18.
This result seemed to set the pace for the release of Xanadu’s wines throughout the year. And an extensive range it is, from the sensational budget Dragon line, through the brand new Next of Kin portfolio and up to Xanadu’s beautifully crafted Estate and Reserve wines.
When I caught up with Glenn I asked him how it is that a range of wines can improve so dramatically, so quickly.
He explained that the initiatives have been first and foremost in the vineyards. “We pruned some of our vineyards with a bobcat and planted them to more appropriate varieties and clones,” he explained. “Over the past four years we have replanted twenty percent of our vines. We are also working hard on reducing yields, improving drainage, playing with canopy management and trellising and making careful use of compost.”
Xanadu’s efforts on the ground have seen the purchase of new vineyards, providing “some really special parcels of fruit to play with. We have also been busy rekindling relationships with some fabulous growers across different subregions of Margaret River. We now source from vineyards with some of the oldest vines in the region.”
The effect of these vineyard initiatives has been a dramatic improvement in fruit quality. “We have embraced the concept of growing wine, not just grapes,” Glenn explained. “Our aim is to try to make wine with real personality and allow the fruit to shine through. The Rathbones have given us a blank slate and the freedom to give the wines a personality.”
This momentum has been self-perpetuating. “Local growers with great vineyards have seen what we've been creating in recent years and it’s been fantastic to have them contacting us, wanting to get on board!” Glenn exclaimed.
Things have changed in the winery at Xanadu, too. Glenn is keeping fruit parcels separate and making everything in smaller batches. “We now have the most expensive water tanks in Western Australia!” he pointed out. “We only use small tanks for wine, so the big 190kL tanks that were bought under the previous owners are good for nothing but water!”
At blending time, Rathbone Wine Group Director Gordon Gebbie and Owner Darren Rathbone join Glenn for the classification tastings. “Their decisions are for the long-term,” said Glenn, “and they are always focused on wine quality. When I suggested that the 2006 vintage was not up to Reserve standard, they were happy for us not to release any Reserves.”
It has been through uncompromised attention to detail in the vineyards, the ferments (some wild), the barrels (all French) and the blends that Xanadu has been able to secure the enviable position that it has attained this year. Glenn’s meticulous attention to the small details is exemplified in his Next of Kin Chardonnay. “I trialled small additions of Viognier because I could see that it made a difference,” he explained. He settled on just one percent. And this epitomises Glenn – the attention to the one percent detail that makes the difference.
Xanadu may have come a long way in four years, but there is still much to look forward to. “We have lots of new plantings only starting to come on,” Glenn explained. “Some have not even been picked yet. There are exciting things still to come!”
As the song says, “The dream that came through a million years, that lived on through all the tears, it came to Xanadu.” The sentiment seems strangely appropriate. “Xanadu, now we are here.”