|
|
|
Zilzie know from good Shiraz, they have grown the finest fruit for decades and now retain access to the most splendid vineyards. The quality of their winemaking has claimed thirty trophies since they embarked on their own label. Zilzie» |
|
Haan have claimed a breathtaking tally of world class accolades for such a small, boutique Barossa estate. Conspicuous trophies and medals at the prestigious London International, Australian Wine Producer of Year and Trophy for Best Blended Red. Haan» |
|
An exciting innovation in a Methode traditionnelle, enriched by strawberry. A component of Pinot Noir is treated to extended time on skins for perfect uptake of charming rose colour, to be blended back with Chardonnay after primary ferments. Lindauer» |
|
There's a single block of Montepulciano along Bird In Hand Road at Woodside in the northern Adelaide Hills, a warmer site with rocky, well drained soils, perfectly suited for Italians. The seaside influence of Gulf of St. Bird In Hand» |
|
A passionate, family owned and operated winery who've been rewarded with highly coveted Royal Melbourne Gold for their impressive Langhorne Creek reds. Temple Bruer have been waving the magic wand with their brilliant efforts at Merlot, scoring further medals at the Small Winemakers and Rutherglen Wine Shows. Temple Bruer» |
|
Originally planted during early settlement, the sandy loam soils of Haan Vineyard yield an outstanding quality of Shiraz. Fortuitously positioned along the hallowed mile of Siegersdorf Road, mid way between the ancient winegrowing hamlets of Angaston and Tanunda, the heirloom parcels once known as Hanenhof, have claimed significant trophies at the prestigious London International. Haan» |
|
From parcels of Pinot Noir, planted to the foot of tailings, left behind by waves of prospectors who pursued their fortune amongst the open pits and mines on Adelaide Hills during the gold rush of the 1850s. Crushed and destemmed straight into the press with minimal time on skins to extract the perfect pink, its blushing lipstick hues presage a cornucopia of lifted strawberry and cherry blossom characters, ruby grapefruit and luscious jube over a length of tasty, toothsome tannins, the perfect Rosé for lazy afternoons or late night soirées. Bird In Hand» |
|
Howard Park is internationally feted as one of the new world's great Riesling wines, achieving superstar status after claiming highly coveted gold medal at the prestigious London International. Riesling was Howard Park's first vintage, it remains the Australian west's most enduring white after over three decades of superlative editions. Howard Park» |
|
The uncompromising pursuit of excellence brings the Yealands team to the extreme viticultural climes of Gibbston Valley in Central Otago. It is here under the frigid cloudless night skies that Pinot Noir vines, planted to undulating granite schist soils, struggle to yield harvests of parched grapes, redolent with cherry berry perfumes, bursting with an intensity of flavour and wrapped in a muslin of seamless, velvet tannins. Yealands Estate» |
|
Pete Yealands is a natural viticulturalist, happiest at work on the land, he has established many of Marlborough's most splendid vineyards. Single site Awatere Pinot Noir from an exposed terrace on the upper ridge of Seaview Vineyard, planted to some marvelous Dijon clones. Yealands Estate» |
|
Majella are one of the most highly awarded small wineries in Australia, the inaugural release of The Musician was met with unprecedented critical acclaim. In the tradition of the most salubrious Coonawarra vineyards, the Majella property was used extensively for grazing before being planted to vine. Majella» |
|
David O'Leary really knows about things Cabernet Sauvignon, having claimed a Jimmy Watson Trophy and twice International Red Wine Maker of the Year. From low yielding vines up to fifty years of age, grown to superior sites within the Armagh Valley and Polish Hill River districts, the O'Leary Walker team create a powerful and complex, exquisitely perfumed and seamlessly layered Cabernet Sauvignon, framed by judicious oak and supported by graceful tannins, reflecting the idyllic growing climes of Valley Clare. OLeary Walker» |
|
Elderton
About Elderton - the Winery
Elderton
Based in the heart of Australia's Barossa Valley and boasting vineyards over a century old, Elderton is a producer of some of the world's great wines
Winner of Australia's most coveted wine award the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy (1993) and the prestigious London International Wine & Spirit Competition's World's Best Shiraz Trophy (2000), Elderton remains proudly owned by the Ashmead family. The Elderton Vineyard is located on the banks of the North Para River, which is on the southern edge of the township of Nuriootpa. The Barossa Valley's climate is classified as Mediterranean, which amounts to warm summers (average temperature in January is 25°C to 35°C) and cool wet winters with an annual rainfall of 550 mm. The vineyard was planted in 1904 by Samuel Elderton Tolley, with a view to supplying Barossa wineries with premium fruit. After a period of neglect, the Ashmead family purchased the vineyard in 1979 and went about restoring it to its former glory. Modern viticulture practices were employed and the vineyard began to flourish.
The inaugural 1982 vintage is now considered a collector's item. The first Command Shiraz followed suit in 1984 making it one of Australia's oldest blockbuster wines. Elderton went on to be distinguished by Australia's most coveted wine award the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy (1993) and the prestigious London International Wine & Spirit Competition's World's Best Shiraz Trophy (2000). In 2003 Elderton finished building its own winery in Nuriootpa, formerly a Penfolds site. Elderton was now able to grow, produce and bottle wines all on the family estate. This means a greater to attention to detail.
The vineyard now comprises 70 acres with the principle varieties being Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The majority of the vineyard is between 40 and 100 years in age. This age, combined with minimal irrigation, produces rich, concentrated fruit for exhibiting classic varietal characters. The majority of the vineyard is planted east to west, allowing the breezes from the Barossa ranges to flow through the rows rather than across them. These breezes assist with canopy management.
The real strength behind the Elderton success is the ancient 72 acre Barossa Floor Vineyard, which produces fruit of the highest quality year in year out. Each block on the property is cherished but the two standouts are the 104-year-old Command Shiraz block and the 64-year-old Ashmead Cabernet Sauvignon block. Some of the older blocks on the vineyard are planted with unknown clones, however, all plantings since 1949 are Shiraz 1654, BVRC12 or BVRC30, with the Cabernet Sauvignon being G9V3 or LC10. The trellising used throughout the vineyard for recent plantings is simply a double wire vertical with single wire trellising used on earlier plantings.
Following fast on the heels of the estate's world renown reputation for red wines, Elderton is gaining a reputation for white wines. The white grapes are mostly all picked in the cool of the night to ensure that they come into the winery at the right temperature. They are crushed at this temperature, where some whole bunch pressing is also done and only the free run juice is used, which in most instances is fermented at cool fermentation (14–16°C) levels.
The red grapes are also picked in the cool of the night, much of the old vine stock is hand picked to ensure the longevity of the vines and integrity of the fruit. They are crushed and fermented in open concrete, static stainless steel fermenters, or limited amounts of barrel fermentation. These ferments are temperature controlled (normally 20–24˚C) before they are fermented to dryness. The wines are then pressed off in the air bag presses releasing most of the colour and complex tannin structures before being blended back into the total blend. The wines are then pumped over to temperature controlled maturation cellars and carefully monitored before further blending and bottling. The best French and American oak and all barrels are benchmarked annually by the winemaking team and the respective coopers to ensure that the oak complements the wines fully.
Stainless steel crushers, centrifuge, air bag presses and temperature controlled stainless steel static fermenters complement the already existing 60 year concrete open fermenters that help shape the wines of distinction. The site also now has a modern lab with a full time lab manager assessing where the wines are at any stage of the process. In 2006, Elderton gained organic certification as a wine processor from the Australian Certified Organic organisation, the first step in the process of working towards a changeover to biodynamic farming techniques.
|
|