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| Campbell's Topaque is the most wickedly intense, lusciously rich elixir, laden with candied peel flavours, honeycombed fruit and amber complexities. Painstakingly crafted to the old world Solera system, a bespoke tradition of fractional blending and elevage, achieving the most indulgent concentration of flavour through a laborious racking of barrels as the angels take their share. Campbells» |
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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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| 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» |
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| De Bortoli hold an extensive collection of barrel aged wines. Stocks of fortified and botrytised Semillon are drawn on from time to time to assemble into a wickedly decadent wine of rare opulence. De Bortoli» |
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| An auspicious construct of Barossa Shiraz, which has claimed significant awards throughout its illustrious history, including gold at the prestigious London International. Peter Scholz is one of the Barossa's most capable and respected winemakers with a heritage that dates back to early settlement. Willows» |
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| Positioned half way between Avoca and Ballarat, the modestly sized Amherst have only ten acres under vine. The small yields translate into extraordinarily structured, powerfully intense wines, brimming with fine aromatics and lined with silky tannins. Amherst» |
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| Enthused by a consuming desire to make great wine, Andrew Nugent honed his craft as viticulturalist and winemaker amongst the vines of McLaren Vale before returning to the Adelaide Hills, where he established his very own wineworks at Woodside. Hand crafted from fruit grown to mineral rich soils above the historic Bird in Hand gold mine, a pure Pinot Noir with superb effervescence, dominated by red berry characters, adorned by a lift of stonefruits and floral.. Bird In Hand» |
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| A single vineyard, strongly terroir wine by maestro Ken Helm AM, from fruit picked off neighbour Al Lustenberger's property, only released under the premium black label if it reaches the highest quality benchmarks. Since 2005 the collaboration of Lustenberger and Helm has claimed more than fourteen trophies. Helm» |
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| Elderton Cabernet was winner of the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 1993, the following years it claimed back to back Gold and Trophy at the Barossa Wine Show. The 1994 vintage gave Elderton its first international Gold medal in London, an unbroken tradition of remarkable vintages have embossed the Elderton Estate name as a national champion, being chosen by Qantas for service in first class. Elderton» |
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| The top cut, off a mere four hectares Pinot Noir, eighteen different rootstock and clone, all picked by hand and separately fermented. Parcels are treated to minimalist vinification and the extravagance of a Vaslin Bucher basket press, followed by a year in the finest French oak barriques and three years cellaring before release. Pressing Matters» |
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| Amherst is a town rich with colourful history and local folklore, site of the first official gold find in 1851, it launched a mining rush which expanded throughout central Victoria. The district's long association with viticulture is also prolific and colourful. Amherst» |
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| A Coonawarra Shiraz of elegance and finesse, Penley's vintages are regularly awarded with prestigious international trophies and accolades, outclassing some of the nation's icon wines. A splendid effort exhibiting generous varietal fruit and spiced pepper, perfumes of good French oak and plenty of flavour. Penley Estate» |
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Berrys Bridge
About Berrys Bridge - the Winery
Berrys Bridge
The partnership of Roger Milner and Jane Holt emerged out of a juncture in mineral exploration and lead to vintages at Passing Clouds and Chateau Reynella
They selected a site just outside of the main nexus of Pyrenees estates to plant vines. Ironically settling on the very terrain operated a century earlier by a Mr Berry who had also planted Shiraz. George Berry started his vineyard and orchard in 1862 on the banks of Carapooee Creek. Whilst some rootstock 110 to 140 years old can still be found, today's Berry Bridge are the fruit of plantings by Jane Holt and Roger Milner. Milner developed his passion for viticulture after several vintages at Chateau Reynella in the 1970s. He joined forces with Holt BAppSc(WineSc) & AssocDegAppSc(Wine-growing), and happily took on the challenge of re-developing the site.
Berrys Bridge has a very limited production of three super premium Australian wines, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and in some years Merlot. Vines were first planted in 1990, but the history of the site dates back to 1894 when a Mr Berry was growing grapes and making wine - "hermitage (shiraz) ... second to none" - from a 30 year-old vineyard on almost the same spot. The 6.5 hectare vineyard and winery is in the northern foothills of the Australian Pyrenees Ranges in the state of Victoria.
Hand crafted, single vineyard wines are dry grown and vinified on site by the resident viticulturalist and resident winemaker. Hand picked fruit receives small batch open fermentation, is hand plunged and basket pressed. Wines are matured in oak barriques and are bottled on site, unfiltered, before a temperature controlled bottle storage.
Rich red clay soils, warm summer days and cool nights provide lush ripe berries with intense colour, concentrated flavour and complex tannin structure. The Berrys Bridge Vineyard is favoured with winter/spring rainfall and relatively dry summers. Good canopy management generally minimises disease impact in this mild climate, and the ecologically friendly option is always chosen when selecting vineyard inputs. Many species of insect-eating birds love the habitat contributing to a healthy and diverse environment.
"I stumbled across this box marked Berrys Bridge. "Whassthis, then?" I muttered to myself. It was a new shiraz from the Pyrenees wine region, in western Victoria. Berrys who? Never 'eard of 'em. A couple of weeks later and I'm staring into a glass of pretty impressive purple liquid, thinking to myself, "Gee, this is good." It turns out that there is a 1998 cabernet sauvignon as well as a 1998 shiraz on offer from Berrys Bridge, both about $28 a bottle. And now, having tasted them in all their youthful, vibrant, gutsy glory (the wines nudge 15.5 per cent alcohol), I'm keen to find out more!" -Max Allen
"Situated on the bank of Carapooee Creek is the loveliest orchard imaginable having been there for 32 years. Entering through a wicket gate in a picket fence the flower garden is a picture and the odour of roses delicious. In the orchard the vines call for special notice, consisting of 2000 vines in full bearing, varieties being - Gordo Blanco; Muscat Alex; Raisin de Dame; Black Cluster; White Muscat; Black Muscat; Black St. Peter; Golden Cluster' Black Hermitage and Sweet Water. The orchard and garden are in ship shape condition. Mr. Berry makes wine - Hermitage, he finds a ready sale for all his fruit and vegetables and visits St Arnaud three times a week in the fruit season. He relies wholly on his garden and orchard for any return. There may be larger orchards in Kara Kara but not another one to compete with Mr. Berry for a natty completeness of style and general all round tidiness!" -Travelling Reporter, Mercury 5 Dec/1894
"Berrys Bridge enjoyed the kind of debut that every new producer dreams about when its generously flavoured 1998 and 1999 shiraz and cabernet sauvignon were "discovered" by US wine buyers and critics. First vintage was 1997 by winemaker Jane Holt and viticulturalist Roger Milner had many years experience in the wine industry before finally choosing the Pyrenees and making it big. It shows. The wines (there is a merlot too) are intense packages of concentrated fruit flavour distinguished by fine oak!" -The Age
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