Wildflower St Walter 2024: Gamay is a golden barrel aged ale wholly fermented by a diversity of yeasts and bacteria collected from native flowers in NSW refermented with plums. Saint Walter was an 11th century monk from the Loire Valley in France
and is the patron saint of vintners.
Topher's production notes
In 2024, St Walter: Gamay was made by blending barrel aged golden mixed culture fermentation ale with 515kg of handpicked, whole bunch Gamay from Johansen Vineyard in Tumbarumba, NSW. After a four month maceration and refermentation of fruit and beer, it was bottled and allowed to naturally carbonate and mature before release.
The base beer is brewed entirely with certified organic cereals from Chris and Sam Greenwood's farm in Coleambally NSW. Organic raw red wheat with organic Schooner barley malted to a pale roast by Voyager Craft Malt. It is made with filtered Sydney water and Motueka (NZ) hops. Finally, it was fermented with our house culture of microflora wholly foraged from native flowers in NSW. It was bottled in July 2024 and naturally conditioned through refermentation for 12 weeks until release. At bottling it was 6.2% ABV and 10.0°P.
The label artwork was done by Walter's mum, Bernadette.
Tasting notes
Look I know I say this every time, but what a colour! There is just so much fruit character bursting out of the glass...a beautiful expression of the lovely fruit from Johansen. Some light floral notes followed by red berries, and almost into black forest territory. There's an element of rich funk and vinous character giving it depth too. On the palate it's round, with an elegant fruit weight and a pleasant tannic grip.
Like all our beers, St Walter 2024: Gamay is best enjoyed when decanted off a settled natural yeast sediment at cellar temperatures (10-12°C).
Enjoy.
