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| When Johann Gramp planted his vines along the banks of Jacob's Creek in 1847, he was less preoccupied with the making of history but more concerned with the selection of rootstock and fruit, his choice was Shiraz. Jacobs Creek still retain access to some of the oldest vines in Australia and can call on harvests of the finest Barossa Shiraz every year. Jacobs Creek» |
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| The five most most exclusive parcels of old vine Shiraz, a secret component of the Barossa's most memorable vintages, hand picked off the De Fazio and Hillview vineyards at Belvidere and Moppa. Batches are crushed into traditional open top fermenters for a week of pumpovers, gently pressed into an extravagantly high proportion of new French oak hogsheads for two years maturation, followed by the final assemblage, unfiltered and unfined. Pirathon» |
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| Willow Creek has quickly gained a reputation as one of the leading Mornington wineries, producing ultra fine Pinot Noir. From the first multiple trophy winning 1994 edition it was clear that Willow Creek was an exceptional site yielding superlative fruit. Willow Creek» |
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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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| The Lovedale district of Hunter Valley is synonymous with world class Semillon. Resolved to make a transition from mining to wining, the De Iuliis family acquired a grazing property along Lovedale Road and established vines in the early 1990s. De Iuliis» |
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| By one of the most consequential winemakers in the greater Canberra GUI, crafted from Shiraz grown to mature vines at Kyeema, on an elevated granite saddle near Murrumbateman. Reserve Shiraz has enjoyed a series of compelling national trophy wins, including Best Red Sydney Royal Wine Show. Collector» |
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| Bedecked with gold medals, significant trophies and countless five star commendations. Clonakilla is a wine that's ultimately determined in the vineyard, where hard work is required to open up the vine leaf canopies, limiting yields and encouraging vines to make grapes with riper flavour profiles. Clonakilla» |
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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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| An eminent Cabernet wine which can lay claim to coveted accolades such as Blue Gold Sydney International and Gold Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Jacobs Creek retain South Australia's finest vineyards and aim to improve the quality of wine every year. Jacobs Creek» |
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| Stella Bella have won resounding critical acclaim and a reputation for producing artisanly crafted Margaret River wines of great expression, personality and quality. Stella Bella have established an almost peerless reputation after receiving numerous accolades at significant competitions, including coveted Gold and Mission Hill Trophy at the London International, the only southern hemisphere Chardonnay to win such a prestigious award.. Stella Bella» |
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| The Daisy Hill district thrived throughout the 1850s, due to its location along the main route to and from gold fields. The Amherst property sits atop old alluvial tailings, ancient diggings can still be seen around the property dressed in rich quartz soils. Amherst» |
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| Named for a rare grasshopper Sigaus childi, found only at Central Otago within the Earnscleugh gold mine tailings, just across the road from Grasshopper Rock vineyard. The site is fortuitously harsh and sufficiently challenging to make the vines work their hardest. Grasshopper Rock» |
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Hugo
About Hugo - the Winery
Hugo
Hugo Wines is very much McLaren Vale, continuing the tradition of quality boutique winemaking from one of the nation's finest estate vineyards
The story of Hugo Wines is intrinsically linked to the property on which the vineyard is established. John Hugo's maternal great grandfather, George Sauerbier acquired the property and first farmed the land in the early 1900s, originally a Southdown sheep stud, grazing cattle and dairy, almonds, glasshouse tomatoes and mixed cropping, not to mention paddocks of grapevine meant for personal consumption. At that time, anything planted had to perform and provide a return, whatever the soil and climatic conditions.
There were no local sources of water and the science involved in agriculture as we know it today was in its infancy. Machinery was limited and the majority of tasks were performed by hand, quite often with the aid of magnificent heavy horses which have now been replaced by tractors and harvesters. Generations later in 1951, still in family hands, Colin and Gwendoline Hugo (nee Sauerbier) built a new homestead and established a block of dry grown Grenache vines which remain productive until this day, the source of an amazaing quality bush wine.
When John took over the reins from his father Colin, he decided to produce an estate label under the guidance of eminent McLaren Vale winemaker Wayne Thomas. The inaugural estate Shiraz was vintaged in 1979 and the estate Cellar Door was opened in October 1982. Much critical acclaim has since been awarded to Hugo Wines.
There are currently thirty hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, Grenache, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc under vine. Many of the original plantings date back to 1970 when John Hugo followed in his father's footsteps on the family vineyard at McLaren Flat.
John and Liz Hugo take pride and joy in the vineyard where they work and at the McLaren Flat estate wineworks where they live. To manage the day to day tasks of managing a vineyard, the family relies on the help of farmhands who return year after year, not to mention the highly capable pruners who know the individual vines like the back of their hand.
Consistency and quality is what Hugo Wines are all about, using nothing but estate grown fruit makes the realization of the highest standards in McLaren Vale wines a reality. The climate soils and proximity to the coast are also contributing factors in maintaining quality. Since inaugural release, Hugo Wines have received many conspicuous wine competition accolades. The Reserve Shiraz is made from the oldest dry grown Shiraz vines on the property. When the old vine Shiraz grapes are processed, parcels are kept seperate for barrel fermentation in new American and French oak hogsheads. Batches earmarked for inclusion into the Reserve Label are only approved after a barrel cull to determine the finest barrels. You can be assured of an exceptional red wine.
The cosy award winning cellar door facility that now houses Hugo Wines was opened in 1998, it offers visitors panoramic views of the vineyards whilst tasting the range of wines and estate made virgin olive oils, all within the surrounds of a beautiful gallery displaying the finest work by talented local artists.
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