New Zealand winemaker Michael Brajkovitch buys best barrels.

In winemaking, many different factors influence the end result. Most folk understand the role of the winemaker, the vineyard manager and the cellar master but few average wine drinkers know that the role of the cooper is also crucial to the end result.

Louis Latour, CEO of the celebrated vineyards in Burgundy, says of their cooperage, "the reputation of the great wines of Burgundy depends, to a large extent, upon the quality of the barrels in which those wines will spend the initial twelve months of their ageing".

To get the best quality barrels for his own precious wines, his grandfather started an in-house cooperage in the early 1900s.

"We maintain the tradition to this day, employing techniques in the barrel-making shop which have changed little since the Middle Ages. Maison Latour produces today more than 2,000 barrels of which half are exported to the best wineries in the world."

One of these is Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood, California, where winemaker Eric Stern believes, "The role of the cooper is integral with that of the winemaker. A bad barrel can ruin a wine as certain as any other defect that may occur. The raw materials, the staves and the crafting of a barrel are indeed an art, one that relies on tradition, and intuition, just like winemaking."

Although Stern has tried oak from the Czech Republic and America he found them, "Less satisfying for our style of wine. All of the barrels I use are made from oak grown in France. The barrels are made and shipped the year of the vintage. I use a number of Burgundian coopers including Louis Latour."

A perfect example of this cooperation is the Landmark Overlook Chardonnay, Sonoma County 2003. It is a lovely wine in which subtle oaky flavours flirt with the palate from initial taste to lingering finish. Landmark wines are imported by Golden Gate Wine, which will showcase several boutique wines at the Christmas Wine Fair at Hong Kong Cricket Club on November 26.

New Zealand winemaker Michael Brajkovitch is also adamant about the importance of the barrels he uses. "The American barrels are too coconut (in flavour). I prefer the high vanillin of the Burgundian oak."

"I buy the best barrels from Burgundy, and I condition them with hot water before I use them. I do this because any sawdust (left by the cooper) would be soluble in alcohol."

One of a very small elite group, Michael is New Zealand's first member of the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine, London. There are only 250 Masters of Wine in the world. A judge at many international wine shows, he is chief winemaker at the family-owned Kumeu winery near Auckland.

Meeting up in the Langham Place hotel recently, we tasted four of his wines. Firstly the newly released Kumeu River Pinot Gris 2005, fresh, floral, apricot kernel with a hint of toffee and quite complex, almost Alsace in style.

I was impressed by the unexpected quality of this wine - the area is generally too warm for the grape.

"We are lucky. We get sea breezes from two sides - they keep things cool. No added yeast either. The vintage was marvellous, with lower than expected yield and fabulous summer weather that gave us good concentration and a luscious texture."

Then we tasted the Kumeu Melba 2000, which is named for his mother. This is a hand-harvested blend of Merlot with 30 per cent Malbec. Deep rich colour, complex spicey flavours, this is a big wine with lots of red berry fruit, good characteristics and good balance, the kind you don't want to finish unless there's another one waiting!

And a full-flavoured Kumeu River Chardonnay 2004, with lime, citrus, peach and pineapple flavours and an up-front nose of oaky vanillin.

"No stainless steel was used for this wine, only oak, with 25 per cent of that new. The grapes come from five different sites in the Kumeu region."

The last one tasted was Kumeu River Village Pinot Noir 2003. From their second tier label, this is a light subtle wine which should be cooled to a perfect 15 degrees centigrade.

Kumeu white wines undergo fermentation in oak barrels, the reds are fermented in stainless steel tanks and later transferred to oak barrels to mature and soften the tannin structure.

Incidentally, Kumeu River uses only screwcaps for its wines. And the wines are available at several top outlets around town including: Disneyland Hotel, Grand Hyatt, Morton's and the Peninsula.

Maggie Beale is an international food and wine critic and judge; and president of Wine Writers Circle. She can be reached at:

wineexpert1@hotmail.com

(HK Edition 11/18/2005 page4)