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DESCRIBED BY THE LONDON OBSERVER AS AUSTRALIA'S FINEST PINK WINE, Rose of Virginia is distinctively perfumed thanks to the inclusion of a choice Grenache component, followed by the brooding characters of noble red grapes. At a time when growers were pulling out their vines to plant more fashionable varieties, Charlie was convincing farmers to keep their historic parcels of Grenache. Just ever so slightly away from the cloying, rich styles, Rose of Virginia is crisp and balanced to match the wide range of cuisines which have been her partners.
FROM THE BEST PARCELS OF FRUIT GROWN TO THE HIGH EDEN RIDGE ESTATE VINEYARD, these are the earliest plantings of Chardonnay in South Austraia and some of the oldest in the country. The east facing escarpment rises 550 metres above sea level and separates the dramatically cooler Eden Valley, providing a myriad of interesting mesoclimates and vineyards which have been refined over time, along with the winemaking. The vines are painstakingly pruned by hand and yields are methodically thinned to ensure grapes develop the requisite intensity of flavour.
NAMED AFTER SIR HENRY GALWAY, Governor of South Australia from 1914 to 1920. Governor Galway was a frequent visitor to the Yalumba wineworks, on each occasion he would conduct a tasting of the finest 500 litres oak barrels of Port. Whichever was most to his liking was set aside and inscribed as Galway's Pipe, the particular blend that was to be used exclusively for service at Government House. The many components of today's Galway Pipe have an average age of twelve to fifteen years, precisely the same as it was back in Galway's day.
THE ENDURING ACCORD OF GRENACHE SHIRAZ MOURVERDRE, showing sound structure, exceptional balance and exquisite depth, crafted by the most dedicated team of winemakers, Beresford are McLaren Vale, through and through. The consistency and enduring appeal of Bereford's award winning, hand crafted vintages is the culmination of an uncompromising dedication to the craft and attention to the smallest detail amongst the vines and in the winemaking.
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Bass Phillip is
renowned for producing some of the best Pinot Noir wines in Australia for decades
Named after two of our great Australian explorers, George Bass and Arthur Phillip, Bass Phillip Wines were established by Phillip Jones in 1979. Recognised for decades throughout the world of wine as Australia’s finest Pinot Noir, the wines of Bass Phillip offer superb complexity, length of flavour, delicacy, power and cellaring potential. Made in a simple and traditional manner, with low cropped vineyards, no irrigation and minimal intervention in the winery, the wines of Bass Phillip display flavours which are characteristic of the region and their individual vineyards. The Bass Phillip Estate vineyard at Leongatha South became the first commercial vineyard in South Gippsland. The region is famous for its fertility, moderately high rainfall and high quality dairy farming.
The difference between good and great Pinot Noir is texture, says Phillip Jones. The deep, mineral rich soils and high humidity, plus cooler temperatures, are the important factors which deliver complex and intense flavour, firm natural acidity, and minerality in pinot noir and chardonnay wines. Ever since the inaugural vintage 1984, these qualities have been apparent. Bass Phillip wines are distinctly different, nice to drink young, but improve well after several years in the cellar. The most recent vintages of Bass Phillip Pinot Noir are the very best, thanks to older vines, more experience in winemaking and continued sustainable practices in both the vineyards and winery. The real essence of Bass Phillip’s wine production is to allow the forces of nature to control the process. The South Gippsland region is very favourable for the growth of all plants, making this philosophy easy to implement. Irrigation, toxic/systemic fungicides, and nutrient additions are not used. In the winery, natural yeasts, minimal pumping and filtration and minimal addition of ameliorants is practiced. Bass Phillip avoid the use of fining agents & acid additions. Organic practices since 1993 and biodynamic since 2002. The wine process at Bass Phillip is driven by a passion for quality experiences and attention to detail in the growth and production of great wines. South Gippsland is well known for its dairy and beef produce, deep, silty loam soils and ample annual rainfall. The region has never suffered drought. It consistently provides the soil moisture and ambient humidity required for quality Pinot Noir. Despite being less than twenty kilometers from the sea, Bass Phillip is protected by hills to the northeast and northwest, which reduces the strong winds and produces a continental climatic effect. Soils are rich in minerals from their ancient volcanic origins. Roots are deep because of the free-draining structure of the soils with a low clay content. The harvest period usually involves pleasant, consistent weather conditions, with considerable sunshine and fine, balmy days. Phillip Jones began his career as a research engineer. The approach at Bass Phillip has therefore been to craft Pinot Noir with a strongly analytical basis, using scientific measurements and principles to ensure high quality and long cellaring potential. Rigorous quality control in the last few years has given us wines with vibrant fruit and considerable delicacy. The proof is in the Pinot, a tradition of vintages which are celebrated around the globe by pinotphiles and the most discerning connoisseurs. 2010 Bass Phillip Reserve pinot noir was awarded 99 points by James Halliday, in the 2014 edition of Australian Wine Companion. Halliday is probably Australia's greatest pinotphile and says it is the highest score he has ever given an Australian table wine.
From penniless immigrant
to a leading entrepreneur in the Tasmanian wine, beef and property development industries, Josef Chromy OAM has certainly come a long way
Josef found a job with Goliath cement and asbestos sheeting factory at Railton in northwestern Tasmania. His first business venture as a butcher failed but his second butcher shop in Burnie flourished. Over the decades he continued to expand his business. In 1982 he acquired the Huttons abattoir and smallgoods ham and bacon business in Tasmania which gave him a large increase in market share. In 1992 Josef was named Tasmanian Executive of the year having been the major contributor to the rationalisation of seven export works to two.
Joe had 30 years experience in creating scale, quality, yield and new markets and wasn’t about to waste it. The wine industry in Tasmania, like the meat industry before it, was undergoing rationalisation where many participants were undercapitalised and unable to achieve the economies of scale necessary to take full advantage of markets and production. Joe was not a wine connoisseur but his palate had come to appreciate the distinctive quality of wines made from cool climate grapes. Sparkling wines made in Tasmania shine when given the right care and attention. In 1994 Josef waded into the Tasmanian Wine Industry, buying Heemskerk, Rochecombe and Buchanan Vineyards as well as establishing a completely new vineyard at Kayena. The Jansz sparkling wine was part of the acquisitions. Josef’s Heemskerk Wine Group effectively became the second major participant in the industry in Tasmania, with production from the famous Pipers Brook Vineyards. In 1997 Josef was awarded the Medal of the Order Of Australia. 1997 also saw the Heemskerk Wine Group’s Chardonnay awarded Winestate’s “Chardonnay of the Year”, beating 841 Chardonnay’s from Australia and New Zealand. Again the same year, President Bill Clinton sipped Jansz sparkling throughout the entire evening at a dinner whilst visiting Australia. In March 2000 Josef Chromy experienced one of the most memorable moments in his life when he had the privilege to lunch with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at a table of ten during her visit to Tasmania. In 2003 Joe Chromy sold Tamar Ridge Wines to Tasmania’s largest company Gunns Limited. Not long afterwards, Josef acquired Glenwood Vineyard on the southern outskirts of Launceston at Relbia. Joe knew the potential of this site, the vineyard overlooked picturesque small lakes and out over White Hills to Ben Lomond. Josef has built a new, state of the art winery at the base of the vineyard at Relbia. The clean, modern, minimalist exterior provides a home for some of the best winemaking equipment available. Wines produced under the Josef Chromy Range showcase the varietal expression of the cool climate vineyard site. Fruit reception begins with a vibrating hopper that gently shakes the grapes into the destemmer, which has a smooth plastic cage in order not to break any berries. The grapes are pumped into the press through a peristaltic pump, using the same gentle technology that transfers live fish or pumps blood during heart bypass surgery. A high tech German press enables juice extraction at low pressures, giving more delicate aromatic juices. Elegant, subtle and complex, the resultant wines reward cellaring and provide great accompaniment to food now.
Domenico Scarpantoni immigrated
to Australia in 1952, travelling and working around the country before settling in with Thomas Hardy and Sons at Tintara in the McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a picturesque country town approximately 45 km south of Adelaide, South Australia. With its vineyards sprawling over hundreds of undulating kilometres, it is the toast of South Australia's world-renowned Fleurieu Peninsular.
The town is bordered to the North, South and East by the ancient rolling Willunga Hills, while to the West lies the sparkling waters of the Gulf of St. Vincent. With the sea being so close, less than 10km from the centre of town, the climate is quite moderate, almost Mediterranean. Domenico soon discovered the region was ideal for viticulture and it was there in 1958 that he bought his first property of just 5.6 hectares. Later he was to become vineyard manager for Seaview Wines of McLaren Vale and was responsible for the contoured vineyards that Seaview were renowned for in the 1960s. In 1968, the original school property of 20 hectares was purchased in the adjacent town of McLaren Flat. In the years following, a further 12 hectares of adjoining land was purchased, making him one of the largest growers in the region at that time. In 1979, the winery was built with the aid of his wife Paula and two sons, Michael and Filippo, on the McLaren Flat property, with only a percentage of the tonnage harvest released onto the market under the Scarpantoni label.
Situated right in
the heart of the McLaren Vale, Tapestry's rich ironstone soils and cool coastal climate provide ideal conditions for producing well structured and richly flavoured wines of exceptional quality
Surrounded by undulating hills and with the waters of the Gulf of St Vincent sparkling in the distance, the view from Tapestry Wines is both relaxing and therapeutic the perfect environment for the discerning wine drinker or your next special function. Estate grown vines are the major source of fruit. The vines span two vineyards within the McLaren Vale Wine Region. Both vineyards are very low yielding and produce fruit and wines with intense flavour and concentration. Tapestry's commitment to quality has seen this relatively small boutique label receive a number of awards and go on to establish export markets everywhere.
The winemakers produce strict varietal wines using fruit primarily from McLaren Vale, fitting Tapestry's philosophy that wines should be made that truly express their varietal and regional characteristics. Tapestry's award winning range includes the McLaren Vale mainstay Shiraz, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and fortified wines. The Tapestry range also includes a collection of exceptional Reserve wines, which are produced using only the best barrels of each special vintage. The estate's history predates the acquisition of the property by the Starr family, who purchased the well-established vineyards in 1969, re-establishing the operation as Merrivale Wines in 1971. Throughout the 1970's, the vineyards were gradually developed and improved while Jack Starr became renowned for big Shiraz-pressing red wines. Reds and fortified wines were sold with growing success. The renowned Krondorf Winery of the Barossa Valley purchased Merrivale Wines as a separate entity. Charles Hargrave was appointed head Winemaker under the instruction of Grant Burge and Ian Wilson. Chardonnay (sourced from Willunga) and Riesling from the property's vines were introduced to the growing portfolio of wines. Their first vintage was processed at Krondorf Wines while the Merrivale "hollow tin shed" was being equipped for future vintages. Rapidly gaining widespread recognition, the Merrivale Winery was acquired by Brian and Kay Light who set about revitalising the old vineyard, planting 2 hectares of Chardonnay and 3 hectares of Shiraz during 1994 and 1995. This was followed closely by the purchase of a second vineyard at Bakers Gully, situated high in the hills above McLaren Vale. The new Tapestry label was also introduced, but remained as a sister label under the Merrivale brand. In 1997 the prominent South Australian company Gerard Industries purchased Merrivale Wines under the charter of the Robert Gerard AO, who remains as owner today. Since that time, this relatively small boutique label has gained widespread recognition both within Australia and Overseas, successfully establishing export markets in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The Bakers Gully Vineyard is located at the elevated Eastern end of Chapel Hill Road at the Southern end of Bakers Gully. Soils are sand to depth of 300 mm, followed by a subsoil of ironstone to 600 mm and over a deep red / yellow clay. Shiraz from this vineyard is used exclusively for the super premium "Vincent" Shiraz releases. Shiraz 13.4 hectares, Single cordon VSP. Riesling 0.8 hectares, Single cordon VSP. Cabernet Sauvignon 10.5 hectares, minimal hedge pruning. Chardonnay 2.7 hectares, I10V1 clone, planted in 2001, single cordon VSP, Verdelho, 2.0 hectares, planted in 2001, single cordon VSP. The wines from this low yielding vineyard are highly aromatic, showing nice menthol and mint characters. The wines are enhanced through maturation in finely grained French oaks, adding depth and structure. |
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