Wildflower St Walter 2023: Montepulciano
REGION: Marrickville, NSW
SIZE: 750ml / ABV: 5.8%
St Walter is a golden barrel aged ale wholly fermented by a diversity of yeasts and bacteria collected from native flowers in NSW refermented with red wine grapes. In 2023, St Walter: Montepulciano was made by blending barrel aged golden mixed culture fermentation ale with 472kg of handpicked, whole bunch Montepulciano courtesy of Ravensworth. After a three month maceration and refermentation of fruit and beer, it was bottled and allowed to naturally carbonate and mature before release.
Tasting notes by Meesh: That. Colour. An absolute showstopper. The nose is all fruit sweetness, rosewater, and a hint of earthiness. The sweetness carries through to the palate, with a generous helping of berries and a cleansing digestive-esque tannin to finish. Just a really delicious beer.
It's difficult to overstate the impact of Wildflower since its inception only a few years ago in 2017. Hailing from Texas, Topher Boehm has an impressive resume - from Brasserie Thiriez to Jester King to his background in astrophysics - not to mention his unique house yeast. Cultivated from foraged wildflowers native to NSW, think wattle blossoms and banksia, blended with a Belgian saison strain, creating something truly individual which speaks of place. Topher even sprayed the entire brewery with inoculated wort when he moved in, just to make sure everything was literally covered in the house culture.