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Kemenys Medal winner 2008: Helen McCarthy

Chance moves in mysterious ways. Wine was not Helen McCarthy’s first career choice. As a year-12 student, an interest in science saw her contemplating a degree in biotechnology but, as luck would have it, her boyfriend at the time, Daren (now her husband), was taking a minor elective in wine marketing and was enthusing about one of his lecturers. That lecturer was Tony Spawton, who McCarthy decided to contact for guidance. “He rang me from Paris and I was so overcome by his passion for the industry I took his advice,” she says. Some work experience with Barossa Valley Estate followed and then a degree in agricultural science with oenology at the University of Adelaide, where she graduated with first-class honours.

Late in 2000, McCarthy was accepted into the Southcorp graduate program where she worked in Mildura, Coonawarra, Great Western and Nuriootpa, with most of her focus on white wines. It wasn’t until she joined the Penfolds winemakers in the Barossa that she could enjoy “a fantastic experience with reds”. After two years she made the move to Taylors at Auburn, in the Clare Valley, as Senior Winemaker.

Working with Chief Winemaker Adam Eggins, McCarthy has general responsibility across all the Taylors wines. Neil Hadley, the Export Manager for Taylors, says the pair makes a great team, with Eggins generating ideas and McCarthy providing the thorough application and attention to detail to follow through. Of course, the ideas don’t come only from Eggins. “The [Taylor] family is throwing challenges at us all the time”, says McCarthy, so there are always incentives to try something new. The Jaraman range is her best opportunity. This is her own baby, as she has complete responsibility for style direction and regional sourcing. She is looking for a more contemporary feel with the wines and “more elegance than with our traditional Clare reds, for instance”. Thus, cabernet sauvignon from Coonawarra, riesling from Eden Valley and chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills are all making an appearance in the Jaraman range. She’s also pleased with some other new directions, too, such as increasing the use of French oak in the Taylors Estate Shiraz and moving the sourcing for Taylors Estate Pinot Noir to the Adelaide Hills.

Which wine is McCarthy most proud of? Without hesitation she nominates Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon, which fits her perception of what the style should be. (A telling choice considering her 2005 Taylors Jaraman Shiraz just won the Best Red Wine Award at the 2008 Shanghai International Wine Challenge.) As for future directions, however, her thoughts are elsewhere. “I really love the Alsatian whites”, she says. “Our Estate Riesling is performing well and we have some great pinot gris. Our fruit from Clare has wonderful pear characters and the fruit weight of the Alsace style, while the Adelaide Hills component is tighter, more grigio-like. I’m moving the wine towards Clare.”

McCarthy has made an excellent start with wine judging, too. She’s done her apprenticeship as an associate at the Adelaide and National (Canberra) Shows, judged at several regionals, and last year at Hobart was the best new judge I have come across – accurate, confident and ready to defend her opinions, but also with the grace to acknowledge the opinions of others.

So what does the future hold? “I’m not sure I want my own wines,” she replies. “I’m  happy to be allowed the freedom I have working in a family company, making wines of quality and good value.”

We’ll all benefit from that. Helen McCarthy is biotech’s loss and our gain.

TEXT NICK BULLEID PHOTOGRAPHY TAYLORS

This article appeared in the October/November 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.