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The 1890s brought boom years to the nascent Aussie wine industry, as connoisseurs throughout Europe and the Empire were introduced to the Dionysian delights of new world Claret by Tyrrell, St Huberts and Wirra Wirra. An enterprising family of Scots took heed of the times to plant grapevines on a uniquely auspicious block in Valley Clare, they called it St Andrew and produced forty vintages of the most sensational quality Claret until the 1930s. The Taylor family acquired the fallow farm in 1995 and brought St Andrew's vines back to life. The treasured block endures as home to the flagship range of Taylor wines, one of the most distinguished vineyards in all Australia. St Andrew's Cabernet was adjudicated by Union de la Sommellerie Française as Best Cabernet Wine in the World at Concours International des Cabernets... *according to the french»
Johann Gottfried Scholz served in the Prussian army as a battlefield bonesetter, before joining the great emigration of Lutherans from Silesia to Barossa Valley. After building a family homestead along the alluvial banks of Para River, Gottfried established a mixed farm of livestock and crops, fruit trees and grapevines, Semillon and Shiraz. His acumen at healing fractures and setting splints made Gottfried a leading local identity, as his homestead cottage evolved into the Barossa's very first private hospital. Over a century later, the exceptional quality of harvest from Gottfried's original homestead, made the fruit of Willows Vineyard, an essential component in the most memorable vintages of Peter Lehmann, Saltram and Kaiser Stuhl. Scholz are still in charge, pruning their vines and pressing their harvests into limited releases of the finest exemplars in old world style, Barossa village.. Savour the shiraz by scholz»

Knappstein Watervale Ackland Riesling CONFIRM VINTAGE

Riesling Clare Valley South Australia
A pure caricature of Watervale, a highly eloquent expression of Riesling, as influenced by the very special terroir and clime from which it is derived. Planted in 1969, the Knappstein Ackland River site is a dry grown property of classic red loam over limestone soils, perfect for yielding vintages of outstanding Riesling fruit. The delicate floral nuances and calico textures are unique to the handful of precious sites within this exclusive Watervale precinct.
Available in cartons of six
Case of 6
$251.50
Slate and shaley rocks which lie abundant around the Ackland vineyard play a crucial role in the aromatic development of the Riesling. Planted to cool altitudes of 420-450 metres overlooking nearby Watervale township, Ackland's east northeast facing aspect protects the vines from the prevailing winds off the Great Southern Ocean. Whilst capturing the full morning sun to develop strong lime and citrus flavours, the high natural acids are greatly enhanced by the cold night temperatures. All the fruit is selectively hand picked, gently crushed with only the best free run juice used. Musts are cold settled and fermented with neutral yeasts at cool temperatures to dryness, cold settled once again for clarification prior to filtration.
Light yellow colour. Ackland shows lifted lemons and limes with delicate floral aromas. The palate is rich with lemon lime and has wonderful persistent acid to complement the fruit sweetness. Knappstein displays the Watervale generosity of intense citrus fruits, exciting and immensely pleasureable, the persistence is balanced by a refreshing mineral acidity. It finishes long and lingering.
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Knappstein
Knappstein is one of the most recognisable and popular Clare Valley wineries

Knappstein are a small producer of premium quality wines, who manage their own vineyards. Redeveloped around the historic Enterprise Brewery building at the heart of Clare township, and deeply connected to the community and cultural life of Clare. The Knappstein name has been involved in the wine business in Clare since 1895. The winery was originally founded by Tim Knappstein as Enterprise Wines, a name utilised for the premium Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard and thus honouring the Knappstein heritage as early winemakers connected with Clare for well over 100 years.

Knappstein

The Clare Valley lies 130km north of Adelaide and 60km east of the Gulf St. Vincent perched high amid the North Mount Lofty Ranges. As one of Australia's longest established regions, with plantings by the Jesuits dating back to 1851, the Clare Valley is also one of the most defined regions in terms of climate, geology, soils, varieties, viticultural techniques and quality of wine.

The north / south oriented Clare Valley is approximately 40km long and 14km wide with the bottom of the valley lying at about 250 metres above sea level and its eastern escarpment rising to over 580 metres. As a result significant differences exist between vineyards in their altitude, latitude and individual topography. The latter is reflected in many mesmerising contour vineyards which most clearly depict this unique region.

Over the past 20 years the Knappstein winemakers have developed an almost intuitive understanding of the Clare Valley. Central to the understanding of the affinity certain grape varieties have with the region, are the efforts over the past 10 years to ensure a natural environment under which the vines can find their innate balance. Hand pruning of all the vines, and hand picking of the delicate varieties have been obvious choices for the winemakers. A more subtle environmental choice has been the planting of permanent rye grass between rows. This has not only eliminated unnecessary compaction of the ground by plough machinery and prevented the erosion of the unique mosaic of soils, but also caused distinct changes in the meso-climate.

Knappstein

The winery's decision to un-graft some Chardonnay in preference of its 30 year old Shiraz rootstock was an unfashionable choice in the 1990s. By allowing the vines to find their natural balance, Knappstein has best been able to understand the quality and characteristics of the different sites. Of these, three 30 year old vineyards have excelled with unique characteristics and calibre for their respective variety.

In 1971, Knappstein's Ackland Vineyard was planted at the cool altitudes of 420-450 metres overlooking nearby Watervale township. Its east and north-east facing aspect protects the vines from the prevailing winds off the Great Southern Ocean. Thus whilst capturing the full morning sun to develop strong lime and citrus flavours the high natural acids are greatly enhanced by the cold night-time temperatures of this altitude. The slate and shaley rock abundant in the Ackland vineyard soils play a crucial role in the aromatic development of the Riesling, whilst the delicate floral nuances are unique to the handful of vineyards within this Watervale area. Further north on a slightly warmer site, located on the Clare Valley's famous Terra Rosa soils over limestone, is Knappstein's Enterprise Vineyard. The low-yielding Cabernet vines of this vineyard bear fruit with incredibly bold concentration of flavour, distinctive mint-eucalypt flavours with fine natural tannins and striking acidity derived from the iron rich soils and the limestone geology. Planted in 1969, the calibre and typicity of the vineyard has shone through consistently over time, and now is the source of the Knappstein Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard has produced all the Enterprise Cabernet Sauvignon since 1974.

"Knappstein Lenswood Vineyards is now the sole (and full-time) occupation of Tim and Annie Knappstein, Tim Knappstein having retired from the winery which bears his name in the Clare Valley, and having sold most of the Clare vineyards to Petaluma (along with the wine business). With 25.5 hectares of close-planted, vertically trained vineyards maintained to the exacting standards of Tim Knappstein, the business will undoubtedly add to the reputation of the Adelaide Hills as an ultra-premium area!" -James Halliday

Knappstein