Cult or Phenomenon? I first heard of Cloudburst after its 2013 Wine Show fame and made a point of visiting the vineyard and getting a bearing on its progress soon after. In the late 1990s, I had been unwisely dismissive of the cult wine scene. Wines like Clarendon Hills Astralis and Chris Ringland were garnering extraordinary demand at auction from collectors during this time. They had been championed by American wine critic Robert Parker and were regularly getting very high scores. I believed that their stars would shine only for a short while, but this proved not to be the case. Many have become a permanent feature of Australian fine wine , with a strong following among collectors. By the time Cloudburst arrived on the scene, the cult wine explosion was pretty much over and the natural wine movement was in full sway. Cloudburst’s story is appealing to sommeliers, wine critics and collectors , because its story is about nature, the beauty of wine and the goodness of nurture. There is also drama and physicality about working a vineyard, capturing the elements and creating something unique and special. In 2019 I took some collectors around Margaret River to visit the region’s finest winemakers. The itinerary included a stopover at the Cloudburst Vineyard. On our way to Margaret River , one friend said: There is no way I will buy Cloudburst – far too expensive for what it is. Two hours later, he bought three dozen wines for his cellar at over $350 a bottle. This perhaps highlights the charisma of Will Berliner, the genius of the vineyard site and the presence of the wines. Ultimately , Cloudburst is a phenomenon, born from a feel for nature, fidelity of site and a quest for meaningfulness. It belongs to the same genre as Le Pin, Bibi Graetz or Pingus. These are micro producers where the power of nature and the force of personality have left an indelible mark on the fine wine landscape. They have all become trusted wine brands within a small circle of wealthy collectors and drinkers who believe in the magic of fine wine and a great backstory. Their success is based on their smallness and uniqueness. For Margaret River, Cloudburst is a fascinating addition to the fine wine scene. It is inconsequential in size , yet powerful in character. The sounds and speckles of nature carry with the wind and the light. Standing in the middle of the vineyard, I could
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The Vintage Journal – Great Estate Series
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