Darenberg's neighbours built a dam in 1992 which collected little water throughout the first dry winter. Rains arrived the following year but the dam was still unable to do its job, bad news for McLaren Vale farmers but perfect conditions for Darenberg's low yielding vines. Dry grown Riesling makes the most engaging wine, you'll enjoy the heady yet delicate personality, it promises an even greater range of refined characters as you sip and savour alongside the freshest fishes or sophisticated gourmandise.

$2199each $263DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Bright citrus hues. A sparklingly clean and aromatic bouquet, teeming with white flowers and granny smith, backed by a lovely core of lemon and lime. The sweetness on the palate is tempered by a sustained seam of perfectly pitched acidity. A sherbet like note, not a hint of metallic hardness, the mouthfeel is so refined and balanced and truly has settled into itself in record time.

The close proximity of d'Arenberg's vineyards to Gulf St. Vincent means the grapes can be stimulated by gently cooling maritime breezes. Much of McLaren Vale is planted to free draining soils underlaid by limestone, formed by the calcareous remains of local marine fauna. One such creature was the Hermit Crab, a reclusive little crustacean that to this day inhabits the cast off shells of others. McLaren Vale's first ever Marsanne Viognier is named Hermit as a reference to the region in France where the Marsanne grape dominates white wines.

$1999each $239DOZEN EACH DOZEN At vintage time, Chester Osborn chooses when to pick the fruit by walking the vineyard rows and tasting grapes. Parcels of Viognier and Marsanne are crushed and settled before being treated to a gentle basket pressing which ensures the soft extraction of delicate but defined fruit characters of each grape. The Viognier and Marsanne components receive a similar vinification but are handled separately until the final stages. Fermentations are long and moderately cool to retain fresh fruit flavour. A small percentage of the Viognier is fermented in aged French and American oak barrels to add mouth feel and support the Viognier tannins. Components are assembled after a few months maturation.

Brilliant hue with light tints. Wonderfully aromatic, heavenly lift of candied ginger and crunchy, sweet white nectarine, complex Marsanne notes of green papaya and pistachio. Stone fruits hold sway over the sumptuous attack and mid palate, nuttiness of Marsanne and a delicate hint of sea spray. The complete package of stone fruits and spice before a long savoury finish make Hermit Crab the perfect dinner party starter.

D'Arenberg planted McLaren Vale's first Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. The first crop was found to be covered in a sea of tiny Money Spiders Erigoninae. Popular belief is that kindness to these active little creatures will bring good luck, hopefully in the form of money. Being nature lovers and slightly superstitious, the staff refrained from sending spiders to their death. Hence the first Roussanne was not released until the following year, by which time Money Spiders had learned their lesson and moved to bushland surrounding the vines.

$2199each $263DOZEN EACH DOZEN D'Arenberg are one of the last remaining wineries to basket press their wines. This gentle method of squeezing juice protects the delicate white grapes. The winemaking processes of the past have been maintained, capturing the unique small batch character and the true expression of McLaren Vale. Tasting the Rousanne in the vineyard, Chester Osborn chooses to pick when grapes are fully ripe to encourage good varietal stone fruit flavours. Back at the d'Arenberg wineworks, grapes are gently crushed and transferred to basket presses. Fermentations are long and moderately cool to retain fruit characters. Only free run juices are used for the final wine, unoaked and without any malolactic.

Brilliant mid straw hue. An array of stonefruit and tropical notes through to nuttiness and an ever so delicate hint of Indian spice, Asian salad, ginger, mango and papaya. Rich, textural mouthfeel, delivers a generous mouthfeel oozing with luscious mango, honeydew melon and jasmine leaf, finishing long with tang and spice. Pairs particularly well with antipasto, fatty fish and white meat dishes.

You'll see plenty of olive trees alongside the d'Arenberg roadsides, flourishing among the vines. McLaren Vale is littered with olive groves which were planted by the first settlers. While neighbouring table grape growers consider olive trees a nuisance, local winemakers are thankful for the bittersweet nuances which the tiny green stonefruits impart to the wine. Chester Osborn determines the critical time of picking his Chardonnay, which is treated to wild ferments and lees stirring, for a rich textural wine with savoury aromas and good palate complexity.

$1999each $239DOZEN EACH DOZEN McLaren Vale makes buxom, fleshy white varietal wines of structure and balance. The Adelaide Hills yield a brisk style of Chardonnay with penetrating fruit characters and crisp stonefruit acidity. Under the insistence of chief winemaker Chester Osborn, each components is separately handled. Parcels are crushed and cold soaked on skins at 2C for a day prior to basket pressing, gentle extraction of juices are critical to retain delicate fruit characters. Batches are fermented and matured in a mixture of French and American oak for seven months, bottled immediately upon completion for optimal retention of fresh, natural acidity, so integral to the balance and longevity of the wine.

Pale straw hues. Attractive array of nectarine and granny smith, vanilla, spice and mildly roasted nuts. The palate has an initial hit of creaminess, quite strong in stone fruit and white flowers. Mid palate reverts to a more streamline shape as seaspray and nutty nuances emerge. The finish is long and dry, with just a whisper of vanillan, a lovely modern style of Chardonnay.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN

McLaren Vale yields a generously proportioned yet gentler style of Chardonnay, Fox Creek is made more complex by treatments of battonage, a course of lees resting and luxurious barrel ferments. Grapes are harvested throughout the cool of early morning, retaining all the crisp, clean charm of McLaren Vale Chardonnay. The peachy varietal stonefruit characters becomes prominent, together with a noticeable mineral quality and the beginnings of honey toast as it evolves. Wonderful upon release, expect Fox Creek to be at its very best alongside fine food.

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN Fox Creek own and operate three estate vineyards, planted to choice terroir and clime, very near the village of Willunga. Chardonnay is harvested at ripe and healthy baumes, grapes are crushed and two thirds of the juices are vinified in a mix of new and one year old French oak barrels, a moderate proportion is wild yeast fermented for greater complexity. Barrel components are matured on yeast lees for several months, developing a rich creamy palate. The balance is vinified in fermenters at moderate temperatures to retain maximum fruit character. Components are assembled and the final wine is returned to oak for a spell of integration, integrating flavours and enhancing the structure prior to bottling.

Pale golden hue. Golden peach, nectarine and honey notes over creamy yeast and subtle biscuity oak for a rich complex bouquet. A rich fruity palate showing golden peach, apricot and pineapple flavours. The textural oak frame surrounds dollops of creamy butter, honey and toast, a crisp mandarine finish completing a complex, restrained and balanced wine. Fully integrated oak coupled with crisp acidity gives zing, persistence and length.

$2099each $251DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN

The pick of the Geoff Merrill harvest, a collation of Coonawarra and McLaren Vale estate vineyard parcels, treated to a luxurious course of French oak barrel ferments and ten months age. Fashioned into a finely fleshed, generously proportioned styling, its innate melon and nectarine fruit characters are wrapped in a textural linen of mineral leesyness, summer straw and toasty cashew oak. Mate Mr Merrill to the ripest cheese and finest gourmandise, ideally a gently grilled dover sole or crisp fry of the freshest whiting tempura.

$3999each $479DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Grazing pastures invariably make the most auspicious soils for winegrowing. Hugo owe their splendid provenance to a mixed farm which ran sheep and assorted cattle, dairy and tomatoes, almonds and of course grapes. Chardonnay vineyards came much later, but McLaren Vale, influenced by balmy maritime climes and populated by olive groves, is highly favourable to white grapes. Hugo choose to frame the natural charm of McLaren Vale Chardonnay with a supple touch of oak, allowing the fruit to speak for itself, a ripe peach and nectarine style, perfect for chicken caesar or salade niçoise.

$1999each $239DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Bright, pale straw hues. Clean lifted fresh fruits, pineapples and mango, herbaceousness and green bean. A dry, smooth, medium bodied palate brimming with an abundance of citrus and fruit salad flavours, cantaloupes, pineapples and mango. Rounded and textured with lively balanced acid, enhanced weight fruit and extended length of flavour.