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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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Leasingham have remained at the fore of Clare Valley viticulture, making great wine since 1895. They have since established an endowment of the region's most auspicious vineyards. Leasingham» |
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A vineyard of some historical import, Bernoota is the original block, planted to the Follett family homestead along the banks of River Bremer, two decades before federation. A splendid construct of Langhorne Creek Shiraz Cabernet, selected from old vines around the distinguished Follett family vineyard, perennially released to resounding accolades. Lake Breeze» |
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Stoney Rise is all about drinkability, the creation of complex, fully approachable food friendly wines, without any excessive oak or uber ripeness. Pinot Noir goes into the oldest barrels available to soften the tannins and refine textures without overpowering the sensual fruit characters. Stoney Rise» |
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Peter Lehmann has always been Riesling's most outspoken advocate, he has claimed best Riesling trophy at the prestigious London International on more occasions than any other, he declares Riesling to be his wine of choice if marooned on the proverbial desert island. Early picking of fruit from a superior single vineyard in the salubrious climes of Eden Valley has produced a fresh, lively Riesling, expect this captivating wine to exhibit genuine charm and offer great longevity as it narrowly missed being bottled behind Lehmann's flagship Riesling label.. Peter Lehmann» |
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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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David O'Leary and Nick Walker have amassed hundreds of gold medals and trophies between them, including the prestigious Jimmy Watson. A shared confidence in the quality of Clare Valley fruit was the catalyst for them to establish their own winery. OLeary Walker» |
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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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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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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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So popular are the wines of Pepperjack, that the label hosts its own society of dedicated enthusiasts. This devout cohort of zealots, converges at bespoke venues to discuss matters Pepperjack, they dine on prime beef and imbibe in their cherished libation. Pepperjack» |
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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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Castle Rock
About Castle Rock - the Winery
Castle Rock
Castle Rock Estate is nestled on the eastern slopes of the Porongurup mountain and is named after a prominent nearby landmark
Castle Rock vineyard is planted on Porongurup Road in the shire of Plantagenet. It is set high in the Porongurup Ranges, which are 40 km north of Western Australia's south coast regional center Albany. The altitude, 350 meters, and the position of the vineyard, which exposes the vines to cooling south-east breezes results in a prolonged growing season, enables the fruit to develop maximum varietal flavour and ripeness. The vineyard has a cool and elevated northerly aspect, resulting in intensley flavoured wines. The first varieties (Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon) were planted in 1983. Those first two hectares were followed in 1986 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with further plantings of Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. Later planting included Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In 1996, the 10th anniversary of the first vintage, preparation commenced with an additional area planted with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Towards the end of 1981 the 55 hectare property was specifically selected by Angelo and Wendy Diletti to grow premium quality table wine grapes. The choice was based on the altitude, an approximate eastern slope, well-drained soils and excellent water catchment potential. The wide arc of magnificent views has been the bonus. The wines from Castle Rock Estate were made under contract at Alkoomi winery from 1986 to 2000. The next phase of growth was to make wines on site at Castle Rock Estate. After the 2000 vintage the decision was made to bite the bullet and proceed with plans to build a 200 tonne winery on the estate. Despite having nearly twelve months, it was only just completed on time, the first tanks arriving only four days before the first grapes arrived.
The winery building makes use of the natural slope of the land and is built on two levels. The winery is a blend of age old, proven techniques and some equipment which is state of the art. The upper level houses four six tonne red fermenters.
The grapes are crushed and fermented on the upper level of the winery, then gravity fed into the press below, thus doing away with the need to pump the must. This is very important for Riesling as it reduces skin and seeds which give the juice hard phenolics. When the reds have finished fermenting, the press can be positioned below and filled simply by opening the door!
The press, de-stemmer/crusher and refrigeration system were bought brand new to be sure of their ability, performance and reliability. The use of gravity ensures the right balance to maximise quality. Castle Rock's wines are bottled on site by a portable bottling line which is set up on the back of a semi trailer. This is an ideal arrangement to avoid sending the wine away in a bulk tanker. Bottling on site means Castle Rock can be sure that the quality and freshness of the wine is maintained. Everything done at Castle Rock places a priority on growing great fruit and making exceptional wine. Mother Nature sets the environment, the growers and viticultural team maximize the gifts of the elements. All that's left for the winemaker is to complete the natural process which translates superb quality fruit into an outstanding range of magnificent Great Southern wines.
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