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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» |
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Frank Potts established the Bleasdale vineyards in 1850, his eponymously labelled wine commemorates a legacy of innovation and resourcefulness. Frank Potts is a Bordeaux styled Cabernet which may contain varying portions of Malbec or Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc or Merlot depending on the performance of vintage. Bleasdale» |
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The Moppa district was a flourishing settlement of pioneering farmers and gold miners. When the Kalleske vineyard was established in 1853, there were few schools in the region, so local parents established the Moppa Public School to provide their children with a formal education. Kalleske» |
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Stephen Pannell is one of Australia's most decorated winemakers, Jimmy Watson and twice Max Schubert Trophy winner, London International Winemaker of Year and Chairman National Wine Show. He found time in between tours of duty at Wirra Wirra, Tintara and BRL Hardy, to do vintage in Burgundy, at the illustrious Mouton Rothschild and amongst the grand old vines of Barolo. SC Pannell» |
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Yealands Seaview Vineyard is exposed to some of the toughest growing conditions in Marlborough, high sunshine and billowing winds wind, cool nights and low rainfalls for a smaller, thicker skinned Pinot Gris of exciting intensity. Fruit from the relatively flat, coastal L6M block, provides a pure mineral elegance to the structural backbone. Yealands Estate» |
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Paringa Estate has established an unassailable repute over the last twenty years as one of the leading small winery vineyards in the country, named Australian Winery of the Year by James Halliday. Paringa Shiraz won a total of six trophies including Best of Show at the 2006 Royal Sydney, sweeping the field with five Gold Medals and five Trophies, including the prestigious Best of Show and Best Shiraz at the 2009 Royal Sydney, as well as Best Shiraz Trophy Royal Melbourne. Paringa Estate» |
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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» |
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White Label is a McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest eminence, having been nominated for the George Mackey Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding Australian export. Crafted from fruit grown to some of the oldest vines at Pirramimma and McLaren Vale, it has twice claimed Gold in San Francisco and competed well against a formidable host of distinguished growths at the prestigious London International. Pirramimma» |
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Adam Jackson bought the first blocks of land at the heart of Marlborough and took up farming in 1855. His wife planted a gumtree along Jacksons Road, it remains a regional icon and can be seen on the Jackson estate label. Jackson Estate» |
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Considered an undistinguished vintage, it won a trophy, five Gold, four Silver and six Bronze medals between 1974 and 1982.. . Penfolds» |
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There are two superb high altitude sites in Carey Gully and Piccadilly Valley, which yield an extraordinary quality of Sauvignon Blanc. Knappstein take the top cut of each harvest, crushing the fruit for a long cool vinification, treating a batch to the added richness of oak barrel ferments for texture, complexity and weight. Riposte» |
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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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About Wilson Vineyard - the Winery
Wilson Vineyard
The Wilson Vineyard is a small family winery in the Polish Hill River sub-region of South Australia's Clare Valley
In 1973, John Wilson set out with soil map and sampling auger in search for the plot for his vines. The chosen land was some of the grazing slopes east of Sevenhill. The locals were bemused by this venture and were firm but kind with their advice about the unsuitability of the area for grapes. To that same handful of locals the little valley was known as Polish Hill River, a quaint tribute to its early pioneers. In 1980 the vineyard produced its first commercial wine and with that Shiraz-Cabernet, wine consumers were introduced to this hitherto unknown corner of Clare. By then no-one had any doubts about the ability of Polish Hill River to produce fine wine. The Wilson family has been content to expand its operation slowly and steadily and is unfussed that most who followed them now cultivate larger tracts.
The winery only processes estate-grown fruit. More than half of the production is Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which are produced under the Gallery Series label, which features a different artist each year. Other wines include a Zinfandel, a fortified Traminer, Chardonnay, and Shiraz. Hippocrene is a distinctive sparkling red wine produced since 1990.
The Clare Valley whilst being a catchy marketing term, is in fact incorrect. There is no single valley, while there is a plateau corrugated by ridges that generally run in a north-south direction. The central feature of this plateau is Mount Horrocks (600 m). South of Mount Horrocks there are three valleys: the Wakefield River, Eyre Creek, and the Skillogalee Creek, that join and flow west to Port Wakefield.
Flowing north are the valleys of the Hill River and the Hutt River, that ultimately flow into the Broughton and meet the sea at Port Davis (between Port Broughton and Port Pirie). Polish Hill River is located on the upper reaches of the Hill River. The soil at Polish Hill River is an acidic red-brown clayey-loam. In contrast to the Watervale sub-region to the south of Mount Horrocks, there is no limestone at Polish Hill River. Geologically the region is of ancient shale and an extension of the famous Mintaro slate. (The slate quarry at nearby Mintaro remains the only site in Australia where it is possible to obtain a sheet of slate large enough for a full-size billiard table)
In the extreme north-west corner of the vineyard, and on the highest part of the property is a small 2 hectare planting of young riesling vines, that is known as the DJW block, so called because Daniel James Wilson planted the patch. In 2001 it yielded its first economic crop, and it was Daniel's choice that the wine should be kept separate from the rest of the Riesling production and produced as an individual vineyard bottling.
Daniel James Wilson's faith was justified, when in June 2002 the 2001 DJW Riesling was awarded the trophy for the best boutique riesling in the Boutique Wine Awards. That 2001 DJW Riesling also won a gold medal in the 2002 Clare Valley Wine Show category for non-commercial riesling. The 2003 vintage has continued the winning streak, and in the 2003 Clare Valley Wine Show was awarded the Mick Knappstein Trophy for the best commercial riesling (current vintage), and the Jim Barry Perpetual Trophy for the best wine of the show. In August 2004 this wine was awarded the top honour for riesling in the Tri-Nation awards, held in Sydney. This award judges the best wines submitted from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. The Wilson Vineyard Rieslings are powerful wines that take more than five years in the bottle to show their best, and have consistently shown themselves to be amongst the nation's best.
The Wilson Vineyard doesn't claim to have the best scenic outlook of the Clare wineries, but puts its hand up for second place. Wine tasting and sales are conducted in a stone-faced underground cellar that was constructed in 1988. This, and other associated winery buildings have used stone sourced on the property. There have been extensive plantings of trees, both native and exotic types around the cellar. For a touch of eccentricity, the sales area is decorated with pieces of railway memorabilia.
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