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| Of particular importance to Shadowfax are the very close relationships with a select group of growers who provide harvests of the most intensely flavoured fruit. A prolific trophy winner, Shadowfax are a refreshing new wave, vigorously fruit driven, livelier than her Victorian siblings, characterised by slatey, flavoursome acidity, a touch of lees complexity and judicious dryness. Shadowfax» |
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| Daniel James Wilson would write DJW rules on school book covers, desks, garden edgings and wet concrete whenever the opportunity arose. In 1997 DJW established a small 5½ acre plot of Riesling in the highest and most fertile corner of the family property. Wilson Vineyard» |
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| Given the scarcity of Best's prestige, limited release, old vineyard icons, Bin #1 affords enthusiasts their first taste of the Great Western Shiraz style and leaves them eager to discover more. A classic, cool climate, aromatic wine, floral and spicy, peppery and elegant, retaining vital Great Western fruit character. Bests» |
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| Have you ever imagined yourself sipping on a luscious effervescent red wine? Vixen makes makes it very real. Your friends will be jealous, past party escorts will seem dull by comparison and all eyes will be on you as you stride into your next party with Vixen on your arm. Fox Creek» |
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| Whole bunches and oak barrel ferments, the costly extravagance of three years tirage on sedimentery yeast lees, each bottle individually riddled by hand, disgorged and sent to cellar for the ultimate indulgence of extra age before release, Pamela is the zenith of the sparkling winemaker's art. Her luxurious effervescence exudes brioche, tarte tatin and French boulangere, her creamy textural mousse unravelling ribbons of rich yeasty autolysis, crème caramel and baked fruits. Wicks» |
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| A vigorous diction of new world Chardonnay, framed within a tasteful veneer of judicious oak, crafted by an artisanal winery that's claimed best white and best red wine trophies, as judged amongst peers at the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association. Willow Creek offers a stylishly proportioned palate, finishing as crisp as the maritime winds which enthuse the Peninsula. Willow Creek» |
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| From two blocks of superior vines grown to the McLaren Flat estate, hand planted by the Scarpantoni brothers in the early 1970s. Brothers Block claimed Australia's most illustrious award, the highly coveted Jimmy Watson trophy in 2007. Scarpantoni» |
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| The quality of Shiraz grown to parched vineyards in Victoria's rugged western districts, has been well known throughout the world of wine since the days of gold rush and early settlement. Taltarni have since established an enviable reputation for vintages of powerfully structured, statuesque red wines, fully exploiting the soft spoken majesty and graceful intensity of Pyrenees Shiraz comes naturally. Taltarni» |
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| After several decades of crafting Australia's most memorable vintages, Mike Press is more sanguine than ever that great wine can only come from the finest vineyards. His dedicated hands on approach means that he is personally involved in every stage of the winemaking, from pruning the vines and inspecting grapes, right to plunging the ferments and bottling his finished wine. Mike Press» |
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| Samuel Dunn was an early Amherst resident, one of the first settlers to plant grapes in the Pyreness. His land was exploited for sheep grazing, until diggers found the locality alive with gold. Amherst» |
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| From one of the oldest productive blocks of Marsanne in the world, an opulent white wine of remarkable complexity. The pick of fruit from this very special patch of ancient vines is crafted into a wine that's built to age beautifully in bottle, initially brooding and water white, evolving luxurious caramelled characters while unravelling layers of flavour. Tahbilk» |
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| Blackjack has claimed the eminent M.Chapoutier Trophy for Best Shiraz at the prestigious Le Concours des Vinson on no fewer than three occasions. Block 6 is a superior parcel of distinguished vines, renowned within the Bendigo district for producing a very high quality, intensely fruit driven Shiraz. Blackjack» |
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Step Rd
About Step Rd - the Winery
Step Rd
The Step Rd Winery is situated in the beautiful Langhorne Creek region of South Australia, only 70km from the city of Adelaide
Step Rd was established in 1985, the members of the team share a passionate desire to produce world class wines reflecting the essence of their regions. It is home to two of Australia's most outstanding wine brands, Step Rd and Beresford. Established as a premium wine grape producing region as far back as 1860, Langhorne Creek is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions. Situated 70 km south east of Adelaide this stunning area is surprisingly cool due to its proximity to the Southern Ocean. Made up of largely flat plains sheltered by the Mount Lofty ranges with low winter-dominant rainfall and moderate daytime temperatures. The grape quality is enhanced by deep, rich alluvial soils, washed down by floods from the Adelaide Hills over the centuries. It is renowned for its reds, in particular Shiraz and Cabernet, which show great character, style and elegance.
Step Rd source fruit from the finest vineyards in South Australia. The classic combination of high altitudes in Adelaide Hills, 400-500m above sea level, high winter rainfall and cool summers, produce fruit of supreme quality. Shallow, shaly soils, washed by centuries of rainfall, ensure low yielding vines, with intensely flavoured fruit. Long, cool ripening periods, with night-time temperatures as low as 3-4°C, allow fruit flavours to develop and concentrate to their optimum level. Showing elegance and finesse, undoubtedly this region produces some of Australia’s finest white table wines.
The Step Rd winery was built with dual goals, wine quality and environment protection. A 5,000 tonne winery its layout and operation were designed for efficiency and resource, and to be mindful of the occupational health and welfare of the staff, and the environment. All liquid waste is stored in plastic-lined dams to prevent seepage into the precious water table, before being treated to remove damaging chemicals and salinity, then recycled as irrigation on the vineyard.
Similarly, all solid waste of skins, stalks and seeds are mulched and returned to the vineyard to enhance and improve the soil, as well as reducing the irrigation requirement by up to 25%. Step Rd Winery is not only the pinnacle of winemaking quality but is at the forefront in the conservation of the environment and that extremely valuable and diminishing resource, clean water.
Step Rd produce some exceptional, well balanced, fresh, fruit driven wines and skilful blends showcasing the best Australian varietals including Crystal Brook, Katherine Hills and Trig Point. The extensive knowledge and experience of the growers and winemaking team has been garnered over many years working with some Australia’s iconic wineries including Wirra Wirra, Hardy’s Tintara and BRL Hardy.
The small but passionate team bring a mix of local and global winemaking expertise. The philosophy is simple, to act as caretakers of the fruit, to understand and realize the full potential of the grapes which come into the winery and produce wines with structure, style and balance. A close consultant to Step Rd, Stephen Pannell is one of Australia's foremost winemakers, he has made some of Australia's most memorable wines and has worked alongside numerous overseas vintages at places such as Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and G.D. Vajra in Barolo. Other highlights in Stephen’s career include winning the title of International Red Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge in London, winning the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, twice winning the Max Schubert Trophy at the Adelaide Wine Show as well as being listed as one of the 50 most influential contributors to the world of wine by Decanter Magazine.
Warm summers, moderate winters, dominant winter rain and low humidity characterize McLaren Vale's Mediterranean climate. This outstanding region has a world class reputation for Shiraz with its wines renowned for ripeness, elegance, structure, power and complexity, making a consideration of Mclaren Vale fruit a must for the Step Rd winemaking team. The superb warm climate of the Riverland, commitment to viticultural quality through worlds best practise in irrigation, clone selection and vineyard management techniques, lead to the production of generous fruit driven wines. In particular Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Harvests of full flavoured fruit which in the best vintages, can find their way into Step Rd wines.
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