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Barossa Old Vine Wine Company (BOVC)
Barossa Valley
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BOVC wines are, as the name suggests, sourced only from the finest old Barossa fruit. For more than 20 years Carl Lindner has not wavered in his passion for old vines and his desire to enhance the character and heritage of the Barossa region. The region's history is punctuated with tragic tales of vine pulls, a lack of understanding, and drives for more modern viticultural practice. Only a few, very special, old vine gardens remain. BOVC has a share of them, but production can never be on a large scale because of their low yields. Any wine bearing the name BOVC strives to be of the highest quality and, because of its origin, have a style of rare standard.
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Berrys Bridge
Pyrenees
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Proprietors Jane and Roger fled the busy urban life of Melbourne to pursue winemaking in the rural Pyrenees . The winery lies in the northern foothills of Victoria Pyrenees Ranges and consists of 16-acres of vineyards that produce Shiraz , Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The rich red clay produces vigorous vines and the dry summer climate minimizes disease incidence.
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Black Chook
Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, McLaren Vale & Langhorne Creek
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As the bigger sibling of Woop Woop, the Black Chook once again represents a collaboration between Ben Riggs the wine maker at Penny's Hill, and Tony Parkinson, proprietor of Penny's Hill. The Black Chook is sourced from McLaren Vale, known for it's consistent, Mediterranean-type climate and Langhorne Creek which characteristically produces Shiraz that is spicy, flavorful and elegant. Co-fermenting small amounts of Viognier skins with Shiraz adds wonderful apricot perfumes, at the same time as intensifying the deep rich color and velvety mouth-feel of the wine.
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Catalina Sounds
Marlborough , Nelson
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Epicurean Wines has been looking to add a New Zealand property for a long time but hadn’t found the right fit. Benjamin Hammerschlag had been seeking the same kind of talent and passion that he has discovered in the winemakers we work with in Australia. In Ant Moore, he finally found a winemaker with those qualities. This is one of the most exciting projects of the year for Epicurean and it has been a long time coming.
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Charles Cimicky Wines
Barossa Valley
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Czech immigrant Karl Cimicky founded Karlsburg Winery in 1973. In the early 90’s Karl’s son Charles began to take a keen interest in winemaking and the ‘good’ wines started turning into awesome wines. In addition to top of the line fermenters and barrels, Cimicky also has an estate bottling line, something of a rarity in Australia, allowing him to personally control all facets of production. Charles Cimicky produces rich, voluptuous, generous wines with superb balance. Apart from minor drip irrigation in January and February, the vines are dry grown, cover-cropped and organically fertilized. Now in his late forties Charles Cimicky is one of the most quality-driven, meticulous winemakers in South Australia.
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Corrina Rayment
McLaren Vale
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This collaboration is born of Benjamin Hammerschlag's relationship with the Oliver family and in particular, with winemaker Corrina Rayment, who naturally fits into the group of young and progressive winemakers that permeate the Epicurean Wines portfolio. Rayment is a progressive thinker and she's willing to take risks. Her wines are deigned to offer the best aspects of McLaren Vale - texture, suppleness and intensity.
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De Lisio
McLaren Vale
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During a visit to Australia in June of 2004 Benjamin Hammerschlag was assessing the portfolio of another young winemaker in McLaren Vale. During the tasting, the parcels that stood out time and again had come from Tony De Lisio’s vineyards. The impression stuck and yielded an extensive tasting of De Lisio’s wines. Consistently impressed, Hammerschlag approached De Lisio and discovered an Italian immigrant with 30 years of experience in McLaren Vale. De Lisio’s talents lie in the vineyard and his connection to other immigrants in the region give him access to some of the best fruit in the district which happen to meet the classic Epicurean Wines criteria; phenomenal raw materials transformed into wines that are jam-packed with intensity.
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Earthworks
Barossa Valley
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Australian Earthworks has a fierce commitment to quality as well as to preserving the heritage of the Barossa. The wines are produced from grapes harvested in the vineyards of trusted Barossa growers. As Australia is one of the oldest continents, Earthworks grapes are grown on soils up to 600 million years old, which are free draining, mineral rich and in one of the cleanest climates on the planet. Traditional winemaking and minimal processing are employed to ensure the purity, integrity, texture and flavor of the vines. In the words of winemaker, Tyson Bitter, “This is the essence of making a top wine and having fun doing it!” The Earthworks wines are deliberately bottled under a screw cap seal to ensure the quality always remains untainted.
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Epsilon
Barossa Valley
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The name Epsilon is a play on the name of the vineyard owners, Aaron & Julie Southern. Epsilon, the fifth star of the Southern Cross constellation, is an example of how a background star can come to the fore. Julie & Aaron love their skies which are crystal clear from down under.
This project is made in collaboration with Dan Standish and Jaysen Collins who are making the wine.
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Glaetzer
Barossa Valley
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The relationship with the Glaetzer winery had been developing since the release of the 2001 Amon Ra Shiraz. With the 2004 vintage, Ben Glaetzer took over winemaking at Glaetzer and brought his own flagship wines, Amon Ra and Godolphin, into the fold. Young Glaetzer has implemented many changes at the winery, particularly with regard to harvesting upon physiological ripeness vs. analysis, longer skin contact and the use of the highest possible quality oak barrels. The Glaetzer philosophy focuses simply on the production of small-volume, super premium wines. The company holds a firm belief that the wines are made in the vineyard – a combination of the French notion of terroir combined with Australian vineyard site knowledge. The wines are produced from vines grown in well-drained sandy clay loam over a solid limestone pan. This particular soil, widely recognized as the best for dry grown Shiraz, is limited to the Ebenezer region in the northwestern part of the Barossa Valley. Yields are exceptionally low, with 1 to 1 1/2 tons per acre of Shiraz from some of the 80-year old vines being common. Glaetzer has exceptional fruit, and thus opts for a minimalist approach.
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Glen Eldon
Barossa Valley, Eden Valley
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Glen Eldon Wines was established by the Sheedy Family in 1997. Glen Eldon Wines is a family owned and operated winery. Mary and Richard Sheedy have built Glen Eldon into a premium winery with the aim of producing regional wines of distinctive quality. Prior to launching his family label of Glen Eldon Wines, Richard gained his experience as Winemaker/General Manager at Elderton and previously at St Hallett Wines.
Glen Eldon has vineyards located throughout the Barossa Floor and Eden Valley, each one selected for it’s micro-climate and distinctive flavor attributes. With vineyards in Tanunda, Mt McKenzie, Springton and North East of Mt Pleasant, Richard Sheedy has the ability to select only the best parcels of fruit for his winemaking. These vineyards all offer distinctive sub-regional character. The variation in soil, rainfall, row facing and pruning, combined with attention to detail in vineyard management, consistently produces premium fruit.
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Haan Wines
Barossa Valley
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After traveling the world in search of a place that would fulfill their dream of making high quality wines, Hans and Fransien Haan found themselves repeatedly drawn back to the Barossa Valley. In addition to the Barossa’s obvious beauty, the Haans appreciated the sense of tradition that was fading in other areas together with a strong commitment to preserving a great vineyard heritage, a wonderful sense of community and four distinct seasons which are integral to the production of evenly ripened, balanced wines. Hans and Fransien Haan established their business in 1993 when they acquired a vineyard in the heart of the Barossa Valley between the townships of Tanunda and Angston. Today, the Haan estate consists of 45 acres of vineyards. The wines are made under the guidance of Mark Jamieson, who learned his craft from renowned Australian winemaker, James Irvine.
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Hanenhof
Barossa Valley
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Hanenhof is a second label for Haan. The wines are made from 100% estate fruit. Please refer to HAAN for complete winery background.
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Heartland
Langhorne Creek & Limestone Coast, South Australia
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Heartland Wines was created by a small group of leading South Australian wine professionals, including Ben Glaetzer & Vicki Arnold from Glaetzer. All are all good friends and share a passion for making great wine. Heartland wines are made with fruit from mature vineyards in the Limestone Coast and Langhorne Creek in South Australia.
There are three ranges under the Heartland Wines label. Stickleback, Heartland Coast & Creek and the flagship
Directors’ Cut Shiraz.
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Kaesler
Barossa Valley
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The Kaesler Vineyards were established in 1893. The family sprung from Silesian pioneers who came to the Barossa Valley in the 1840s. They cleared the scrub and in 1893 planted out the entire holding with Shiraz , Grenache, and Mataro (Mourvedre). The gnarled, dry-grown vines still remain and provide the backbone of the intense wines produced here.
The exceptional Kaesler wines now being produced had their beginning in 1997 when a young winemaker at Cellarmaster just a few hundred meters away noticed the power and intensity of the fruit. Winemaker Reid Bosward and his co-owners, a group of international wine lovers, searched areas such as America's Napa Valley, the south of France, Marlborough in New Zealand as well as other parts of Australia before deciding to buy into the Barossa. Bosward comes to Kaesler with experience at Tyrell's, McGuigan, Cellarmaster and abroad in France and S. Africa.
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Langmeil Winery
Barossa Valley
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The Langmeil estate was originally founded in 1844. The first Shiraz vines, planted at that time, still produce premium Shiraz today, making Langmeil the site of the oldest producing vineyard in the Barossa Valley . Today, plantings at Langmeil total 14.5 hectares, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Langmeil Winery's philosophy is to produce 100% Barossa premium quality wine made from varieties that excel here in one of the oldest wine producing regions in Australia.
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Massena
Barossa Valley
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The Massena label is a partnership between Dan Standish, who began his career making wine at Torbreck and Jaysen Collins from Turkey Flat. In 1999, they had both agreed to work the vintage in Clare Valley . The Moonlight Run, their initial wine, derives its name from their nightly drive back to the Barossa. During the drive home, they would share their ideas about the perfect wine to wash down a hard night's work. Out of this ideal, Moonlight Run and further collaboration was born. Wines under the Massena label are made from 100% Barossa Valley fruit, using traditional, natural wine making techniques to capture the unique flavors of the Barossa.
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Mr. Riggs
Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, McLaren Vale & Langhorne Creek, South Australia
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Twenty-five years of making wine in South Australia has given big (6'5”) Ben ample opportunity to develop some great relationships with growers. He cherry picks grapes from some of the best vineyards in the McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Adelaide Hills.
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Nashwauk
McLaren Vale
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Introducing a new project from Reid Bosward and Kaesler. The Nashwauk vineyard is located in the Seaview Hills sub region of McLaren Vale overlooking the Fleurieu Peninsula and the township of McLaren Vale. The vineyards are steep, rugged and terraced with very hungry, shallow top-soil consisting of limestone and ironstone over loam. The site is so rugged that high yields, even if desired, would be impossible. Prior to purchase by Kaesler, this fruit was fetching some of the highest prices in the region. Vineyards total 50 acres, 30 of which are 35 years old. The remaining 20 were planted 15 years ago. Plantings consist of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Tempranillo. The property takes its name from a ship called Nashwauk, which wrecked off the nearby coast on May 13th 1855. Reid Bosward and Stephen Dew are the winemakers. The 2006 wines are the first release for this new brand.
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Penny’s Hill
McLaren Vale
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“Proudly Australian, more so McLaren Vale”. Penny's Hill is a well established McLaren Vale brand; established by Tony & Susie Parkinson in 1988. Wines can be tasted in modern cellars which, with acclaimed restaurant and contemporary gallery, have been blended into the surroundings of the original homestead and stone outbuildings. Idle chook watching or admiring the thoroughbred black faced sheep are popular visitor pastimes. Recognised by its distinctive 'red dot' packaging, the Penny's Hill range is made by winemaker and business partner Ben Riggs, who uses only estate-grown fruit from the Penny’s Hill McLaren Vale vineyards. The vineyards are managed lovingly by local viticulturists Toby Bekkers and David Paxton.
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Piping Shrike
Barossa Valley
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This Shiraz is produced at Charles Cimicky. Charles Cimicky produces rich, voluptuous, generous wines with superb balance. Apart from minor drip irrigation in January and February, the vines are dry grown, cover-cropped and organically fertilized. Now in his late forties Charles Cimicky is one of the most quality-driven, meticulous winemakers in South Australia.
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Poonawatta
Eden Valley
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Poonawatta Estate Shiraz is produced from what was once part of the largest, privately owned vineyard in South Australia . Only two acres of the original vineyard remain as a living relic of Australia 's pioneering winemaking heritage. Established in 1880, Poonawatta Estate Eden Valley Shiraz is one of the last remaining vineyards of its era, and one of the oldest in Australia . The Holt family purchased the property in 1966 and commenced the restoration of the vineyard which had been neglected for many years. Proprietor Andrew Holt has commissioned Reid Bosward of Kaesler to make the wine. The vineyard is on a cool site even for Eden Valley so the more delicate characteristics of cooler climate Shiraz are evident.
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S.C. Pannell
Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale
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2004 yielded the discovery of a serious new talent in McLaren Vale. Epicurean Wines has always sought out the most talented winemakers in Australia. Some of the winemakers we enjoy working with and have the greatest respect and appreciation for are Reid Bosward, Ben Glaetzer, Ben Riggs, Dan Standish and Charles Cimicky, all extraordinary talents and key winemakers in the Epicurean Wines portfolio. Stephen Pannell is a natural addition to this line up. Like Glaetzer, Pannell grew up in the wine industry. In 1967, his family founded Mosswood, the second winery and vineyard to emerge in the Margaret River district. Pannell’s Australian credentials include Seppelts Great Western, Wirra Wirra, Hardy’s Tintarra and BRL Hardy Wine Company where he was the Chief Red Winemaker from 1999 to 2003. Pannell’s ambition has also taken him abroad where he has gained experience in Burgundy at Domaine Comte Lafon and Domaine del la Pousse d’or, Bordeaux at Chateau Mouton, Southern France at Jacques Lurton and Italy at GD Vajra Barolo. The time spent abroad has influenced Pannell’s view on winemaking, resulting in a conviction that Australia has the potential to produce pure and natural wines that are excellent without manipulation. Harvesting fully ripened fruit from the best vineyard sites eliminates the need for acidification and unnecessary handling in the winery. Pannell seeks to apply European methods to the tremendous raw materials available in Australia without sacrificing flavor and ripe tannins. The minimal use of new oak also highlights the vineyard and regional characteristics of McLaren Vale Shiraz.
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Seachange
South Australia
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Seachange is a joint effort with Stephen Pannell. The goal is to offer customers excellent value. A seachange is the term that Australians would use to describe a beach-side holiday. As in, “we are off to the gold coast for a bit of a Seachange ...”
The brand will expand into other varietals in the near future.
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Slipstream
Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Pemberton
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At Epicurean Wines we are fortunate to have | | | |