About the Producer
Bekkers is the McLaren Vale project of wife and husband team, Emmanuelle and Toby Bekkers. Toby is a hugely respected vineyard consultant and a pioneer of organic and biodynamic viticulture. Emma is a French winemaking consultant, who ended up in Australia as a winemaker at Hardy’s. Together, they have a near perfect blend of skills which speaks volumes to the quality and provenance of the wines under the Bekkers label. We have developed a steady following for Bekkers since we started raving about these McClaren Vale wines in 2014. The wines possess a rare sense of balance, precision and elegance that is uncommon for the majority of Australian Syrah or Grenache. Toby’s vast knowledge of the growers, soils and vines provides Emma with the best fruit for the winemaking. A worthy mention is a small, 6-hectare plot of Grenache vines planted in the 1930s that caught Toby’s eye nearly two decades ago; he has since fostered a strong relationship with the grower, from whom they purchase the fruit. Toby’s attention to detail is matched by Emma’s exacting standards in the winery. Fruit is handpicked and then meticulously sorted. While their Syrah has garnered most of the plaudits to date, Grenache is experiencing something of a renaissance in McLaren Vale. Often associated with very fruit forward, easy drinking wines in Australia, in deft hands Grenache can achieve complexity and a terrific silkiness to the fruit. On sandy soils at high elevations, it retains its freshness. It is the sophistication of the Bekkers Grenache that impresses. ‘To get the best out of Grenache, you’ve got to put it in a bonsai pot’, says Toby with a smile – it hints at the attention that the Bekkers bring to bear on all their wines.
