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| Gold Winner Royal Melbourne, Best Cabernet in Australia 2008 Jimmy Watson Trophy finalist, 4 Winestate stars, 96 James Halliday points. The Watershed label was designed by Roland Butcher and incorporates a purple room with a four paned window on the wall. Watershed» |
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| A remarkable Cabernet wine which can lay claim to coveted accolades such as Blue Gold Sydney International and Gold Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Jacobs Creek retain some of South Australia's finest vineyards and aim to improve the quality of wine every year. Jacobs Creek» |
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| Have you ever imagined yourself sipping on a luscious effervescent red wine? Vixen makes makes it a reality. 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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| All Saints store their ageing fortifieds in the Great Hall, an area of a castle built in the 1880s, and lined with huge 100-year-old oak casks, filled with rare wines. Some of these fortified wines are up to eighty years old and form the base of the rich fortified All Saints blends. All Saints» |
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| Richly stylized Cabernet, previously a winner of the Stodart Trophy. Crafted by the man who makes the Pepperjack, twice Jimmy Watson winner Nigel Dolan, Mamre Brook is a fully aromatic Cabernet exuding arousing perfumes of florals and vanilla. Saltram» |
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| Daniel James Wilson's efforts achieved distinction in 2002 when DJW won best boutique Riesling in the Boutique Wine Awards and gold at the Clare Valley Wine Show. The 2003 claimed Mick Knappstein Trophy, Jim Barry Perpetual Trophy and top honour for Riesling at the Tri-Nation Awards. Wilson Vineyard» |
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| Chapel Hill is based around an historic stone church, so it is entirely appropriate that the flagship red be named The Vicar. More wine Vicar? A McLaren Vale icon that has previously claimed the prestigious Australia Trophy and twice collected Silver at the London International. Chapel Hill» |
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| Previous vintage claimed Trophy at Cairns Best Wine for Enjoyment in the Tropics! Winemaker Ross Pamment has fashioned a gorgeous Rosé, voluminously flavoured in mature adults only styling. "We gave quite a bit of thought to how we could achieve a style in the cool maritime Margaret River region, and came up with a mainly Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend!" A vibrantly pink wine that's undergone short term skin contact, Verse 1 entices the nose with fragrances of raspberry and rose petal, a deeply flavoured palate and a pleasant lingering finish . Brookland Valley» |
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| An impressive list of gold and trophys for The Musician within a very short period. A beautifully seamless wine that is a pleasure to drink, a red that's so good it's got it's own video on the YouTube! "This is a sensational red that really couldn’t have come from anywhere but Coonawarra - the stunning cabernet aromatics and bright fruit flavours. Majella» |
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About Paul Osicka - the Winery
Paul Osicka
Paul Osicka is one of the longest established Heathcote estates, planting vines in the 1950s, when Heathcote as a winegrowing region was but a twinkle in the eyes
Grown without irrigation on sandly loam soil over quartz and red ironstone gravels, the vineyard is managed according to organic principles without the use of herbicides or insecticides. The vines are hand pruned to balance the yield and the grapes are hand picked to achieve optimum fruit quality. These factors combine to produce small intensely flavoured and coloured fruit necessary to make premium wines. The principal red wine produced is Shiraz followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The vineyard and winery are situated in Heathcote, and due to the close proximity of the Graytown Box-Ironbark State forest, it is common to find all manner of native animals amongst the vines, including kangaroos, wallabies, emus, lizards and echidnas. The vineyard is non-irrigated and deliberatley kept to a low yield ensuring the berries are smaller and more intense in colour and flavour. A number of varieties are gronw including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Merlot and Roussane, with the Shiraz vines dating back over 45 years. The soil consists of a sandy loam and gravel topsoil with a crushed quartz and red ironstone buckshot gravel underlay which makes for excellent drainage.
Traditional methods are used to manage the vineyard with the grapes being carefully handpicked, and the vines painstakingly hand pruned. Conscious of their impact on the environment and wine, no herbicides or pesticides are used in the vineyard, instead organic fertilisers are used to provide the vines with nutrients. The winemaking is also a hands on affair with winemaker Paul Osicka personally implementing each stage of the process. Extensive use is made of new oak barrels in the maturatin of the wines, and is an expensive although important part of the quality process.
Wine was always destined to be part of Simon Osicka's life
Simon literally grew up surrounded by full-bodied, red wines produced at his family's Majors Creek Vineyard, today known as Paul Osicka Wines. Not surprisingly, for someone immersed in wine from birth, Simon didn't just complete his Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Oenology) at University of Adelaide in 1997: he graduated with first-class honours.
Following cellar-hand work and two overseas vintages in Canada and Italy, he joined Houghton Wine Company in 1999 as Assistant Winemaker at the company's Swan Valley site. At Hougton he gained immeasurable experience producing prestige red wines under the Gladstones and Jack Mann labels. The following year, Simon was promoted to Winemaker and completed a second 1999 vintage in Sicily at Casa Vincolia Calatrasi. Returning to Houghton, he transferred to Nannup in 2001 and worked with the Senior Winemaker Manager, Gretel Friend, to complete the site's inaugural vintage. As the most technologically-advanced winery in the region, it provided both enormous opportunities and challenges. Within seven months, Simon was promoted as the site's Senior Winemaker Manager.
In late 2005, Simon went to Leasingham as Winemaker Manager and is now responsible for the day-to-day workings. Simon has judged at both the Mount Barker Wine Show and West Australian Wine Awards.
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