|
|
|
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» |
|
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» |
|
Brookland Valley Estate made a conspiuous impression through their stirling efforts at Cabernet Merlot when they claimed several significant trophies, including the hotly contested Qantas Best Wine of Show. Expressing fully the generous palate structure and aromatic richness of the stylish Margaret River Cab Merlot accord, beautifully perfumed, bramble flavoured wine, brimming with the quality and elegance which has earned Brookland Valley Estate a five star reputation. Brookland Valley» |
|
Characterized by its controlled power, elegance and finesse, a very special Pyrenees wine which redefines the great Cabernet virtues of stature, structure and length. The inaugural release claimed Gold and Best Wine ahead of two timeless Bordeaux icons, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Cos d'Estournel. Taltarni» |
|
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» |
|
It was the great Cabernet wines of Bordeaux which inspired Bill Taylor to diversify from imports and retail into the highly fraught pursuit of grape growing. An ardent enthusiast of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Taylor had a keen enough palate and nose to determine that the most auspicious lands for Cabernet Sauvignon were amongst the idyllic rolling pastorals of Valley Clare. Taylors» |
|
Pietro D’orsa found work in Australia as a winegrower circa 1868, quenching the thirst of miners during the Victorian gold rush. Several generations later, Pietro's progeny returned to viticulture. Sanguine» |
|
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» |
|
Meshach William Burge 1843-1942, was Grant's great grandfather, a central figure in establishing the Burge vineyards and estate. He was eleven years of age when his family moved from Wiltshire to the Barossa, where he toiled to develop what has grown into a thriving viticultural, wheat and sheep property near Lyndoch. Grant Burge» |
|
Saint Clair continue to deliver Marlborough's most internationally lauded Sauvignon Blanc. The winemaking team are on a perpetual odyssey, to isolate and retain Marlborough's finest harvests, capable of producing wines with intense regionality. Saint Clair» |
|
The marvelous S1 block is a sheltered, relatively warm site within the splendid vistas of Seaview Vineyard, on a north facing plateau at 160m above sea level, refreshed by maritime winds that blow in from the Cludy Bay coast. Fruit is crushed and destemmed, chilled and gently pressed, the clearest juices are racked off for a long, cool ferment to capture the full opulence of S1 vineyard grapes on the vine. Yealands Estate» |
|
In exceptional years, parcels of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot are separately fermented. The best lots are assembled into a multiple trophy winer named Harry's Monster and treated to an extravagant maturation in the finest oak. Giant Steps» |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
About Pizzini - the Winery
Pizzini
June 1955 Roberto and Rosa Pizzini, their three children, Elena, Rinaldo, Alfredo and a baby on the way, embarked on a journey from Trento Alto Aldige in the Italian Alps for a new life in Australia
The four brothers and their families continued to grow tobacco together and progressively grew their business to eventually become the largest tobacco producing company in the southern hemisphere, which at one point was able to employ and support seventeen share farmers as well as the four brother's families.
In the 1970s the tobacco industry began to change in Australia as a quota system for the growing and sale of tobacco was being introduced. Over the next decade Alfred and his wife Katrina planted Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Shiraz, all of the fruit produced from these vines was sold to different winemaking companies around Australia.
Riesling was the first varietal planted in 1978, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc followed soon after. In the late eighties Alfred began to experiment with the Italian varietals Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. After establishing that the King Valley's terroir was suited to Italian varietals Alfred planted Verduzzo, Arneis and Picolit.
Gary Crittenden founder of the wine label Dromana Estate was instrumental in helping Alfred source some Sangiovese stock for the vineyard. In 1994 Alfred and Katrina introduced the Pizzini wine label with the inaugural release of a Chardonnay. Initially the wine was made by John Ellis of Hanging Rock, but over time Alfred choose to bring the winemaking back to the King Valley. Now the wines are made by Joel Pizzini, Alfred and Katrina's son. Joel has studied winemaking at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, and has completed three vintages in the Piemonte and Tuscany regions of Italy.
Pizzini Wines exists as an Italianate Australian identity, based around the passions and commitment to family heritage, hard work and determination. Alfred and Katrina Pizzini's vision was to establish a winery that consistently delivers the finest Italian styles, in combination with strong King Valley regionality. Today, winemaker Alfred Pizzini endeavours on a daily basis to be the leading producer of fine Italian varietals. With twenty five years of hands-on viticultural, fashioning complex and serious wines, Pizzini aims to strike the better balance between number of vines per hectare, type of trellising, soil types and land aspects, to ensure the vineyards produce mature fruit, with maximum concentration of flavours.
Alfred knows his vineyard back-to-front, he says it's one of the most important aspects to making a good wine. Being able to grow and select the right fruit to make a particular wine style is as important as the viniculture itself. Over the past couple of years Alfred has enlisted the services of Alberto Antonini, a world travelling consultant winemaker and viticulturist specialising in the making of Italian style wines. Alberto guides Alfred and Joel with viticultural advice and blending to help make the style of wines Alfred wants to produce.
New vineyard developments at Pizzini are researched and planned with greater emphasis placed on site selection, clone planting regimes and vine trellising. The aim is to strike better balance between number of vines per hectare, type of trellising, soil types and land aspect so that the vineyard is better able to produce mature fruit with concentrated flavours. Experimentation with clones, the continual search for the perfect oak to suit each wine style, and Alfred's passion for Italian styled wines, are all keystones to ensuring Pizzini remains a leader in the production of fine Italian varietal wines.
|
|