• Delivery
Wine clubWine clubWine clubWine club
  • Gift registry
  • Wishlist
  • FAQs
Coonawarra cattle graziers since 1906, the Reschke family turned some of their land over to viticulture in the 1980s. Such was the quality of Reschke fruit, that it became an essential inclusion for some of Wynn's most memorable vintages and a number of national icon wines. Reschke now keep the pick of crop for their own label, the most princely harvests of Coonawarra Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz, characterised by their defined regional eloquence and ingratiating palate weight. The fruit of vines, planted to iron red terra rosa soil and nourished by the fertile plenitude from generations of grazing cattle, for every ardent enthusiast of born and bred, baronnial Coonawarra marques... Reschke red, born & bred»
Moet & Chandon originally acquired the Green Point property, an old dairy farm at Coldstream along Maroondah Highway, with a vision of establishing a prestigious Australian label. Set in the verdant hills of Victoria's propitious Yarra Valley, Domain Chandon continue to over deliver, completely dedicated to the production of the finest quality, cool climate table wines. The excellence of their renowned sparklings are due in no small part to the quality of the estate's Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A regimen of extravagant Burgundian techniques, achieve a range of superlative Yarra Valley table.. These old yarra valley vines are just getting better»
Mount Difficulty are a commune of growers, established 1998 within the elite dress circle of Central Otago vineyards. Propitiously placed around the ancient goldfields of Cromwell Basin, their harvests had long been called upon for bottling under the labels of New Zealand's most conspicuous brands. Launched as a limited release of small batch, single block vintages, the co operative of accomplished growers, has evolved through critical acclaim and word of mouth, into a formidable range of Central Otago, defined by their excellence and exquisite eloquence of.. Venerable vignerons of the very deep south»

Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz CONFIRM VINTAGE

Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia
Outstanding Langtons Classification. In 1891 Herbert and Frederick Kay ordered 30,000 cuttings of Shiraz from the Thomas Hardy Tintara Vineyard. The original plantings were dry grown and pruned to bush vines, neglected over time they grew into something of a tangled mess, fondly referred to as the pumpkin patch. Today, Kay Brothers have returned to the precious Block 6 and take aim at a timeless representation of Australian Shiraz, rich, impenetrable and packed with flavour, fashioned from the fuit of vines with a provenance that's second to none.
Available in cases of 6
Case of 6
$755.50
After decades of love and care, Block 6 has been redeveloped and nursed back to health. The present four acres comprise a corner of red loam, some rather heavy clay in the middle and gravelly alluvial soils on the lower side. After some rufurbishments, drip irrigation was installed and water is now used to maintain vine health and optimise fruit quality. Grapes are hand picked and filled to the original open top fermenters, the musts are macerated before being treated to plunges with traditional head boards. Upon completion of ferments and passage through the 1930s basket press, Block 6 Shiraz is matured in a selection of European and American oak casks for eighteen months prior to bottling.
Deep cherry black/ purple in colour. Sweet fruit perfume of black cherries and blackberry, white pepper and spice over subtle toasty oak. A rich and round, soft and voluptuous, fruit driven Shiraz with a hint of confectionery sweetness in the background. A very approachable full bodied combination of blueberries and plum, ribena and mocha chocolate, spice box, vanilla and pepper fill the palate with decadently delicious flavours.
Kay Brothers
1 - 11 of 11
1
1 - 11 of 11
1
Kay Brothers
Bordering St. Vincents Gulf, 40 kms south of Adelaide, Amery Vineyards grace the rolling foothills of the Southern Mt. Lofty Ranges

In the early 1850's Richard Baker Aldersey bought several sections of land 6 kms north of McLaren Vale in a hilly area near Hope Farm (Seaview). He built a fine ironstone house and named the property Amery, after his birthplace Amery Farm near Alton, in Hampshire, England. The land was partly cleared until Amery was acquired by William Hammond junior, whose father owned the adjacent Hambledon Farm where he settled after quitting his sugar plantation in Jamaica. In 1886 young William Hammond planted out the original seven acres of vineyard at Amery, but for the main part he ran the 339 acre property as a farm, raising cattle and sheep, cereal crops, soft fruits and vegetables. In 1890 the Amery property was bought by the Kay Brothers, Herbert and Frederick, and they finally came into possession on February 2nd 1891.

Kay Brothers

Five months later Bert and Fred carted in vine cuttings from Tintara; 25,800 Shiraz, 5,000 Riesling, 10,000 Carbenet, and began planting the fallow paddocks. There is a meticulously kept diary for every year that the Kay Family has been at Amery. They give not only detailed vintage records and weather information, but also a host of day-to-day insights into the tremendous physical effort people put into working and living in those early days.

On Friday 15th July 1892 they recorded: "W.H. Craven offered to supply Carbenet and Malbec cuttings at 10/- per thousand." Tuesday 19th July "T. Hardy called - agreed to buy 900 white Hermitage vines from him." Wednesday 20th July - "Ordered from W.H. Craven at 7/- per thousand 14,500 Carbenet and 13,000 Malbec cuttings. J.G. Kelly called, agreed to take 3,000 Riesling cuttings." Monday 25th July - "Planted 457 White Hermitage on hilltop". Thursday 28th July - "T. Hardy sent up 90 White Hermitage vines (2 years old)." The first grape crush came in 1895. Today, the Heritage Listed Kay Brorthers Amery is the oldest McLaren Vale winery still in founding family hands.

The Rieslings were the first true varietal wines grown to the area and some of the older traditional winemakers in the district were prophetic of failure. Time has happily proved to the contrary and today outstanding Riesling wines are still being made in McLaren Vale. The Riesling recorded in the 1891 diary were in fact, mainly the variety we now know as Chenin Blanc.

Kay Brothers

The warm temperate climes, cool moist winters, warm dry summers and proximity to the sea ensures that frost, which is a debilitating agent in many viticultural areas, is virtually unknown. The vineyard receives a rainfall of approximately 550mm year and excellent vines are grown on a wide range of soils, the predominant being ironstone gravel. The estate Cellar Door, which is part of the original Winery complex, boasts some stunning panoramic views of the surrounding picturesque valleys and hillsides.

The Kay Brothers were partners in business for fifty-seven years, which is a remarkable achievement in the Australian winemaking scene. Herbert Kay was made Chairman of the Australian Wine Board in 1933 where he sat for twelve years. Herbert's son Cuthbert (Cud) Kay took over the management and winemaking at Amery. He increased the vineyards, concentrating on more Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Riesling with some smaller areas of Sauvignon Blanc and White Frontignac. In the 1960s changes in the estate's primary UK market and uneconomic prices led to the development of Australian markets. Initially this was in bulk to other winemakers but progressively more and more wine was packaged until eventually all of the output became branded under the Kays Amery Vineyards label.

The Kay Brothers Winery today are specialist traditional red wine makers utilising grapes from their own 22-hectare Amery Vineyard and from the neighbouring Oliver's Taranga. The relatively small, strictly regional estate can boast an enviable record in wine shows around Australia and Internationally. The welcome at Cellar Door is as friendly as the view is seductive, so allow plenty of time during your visit to taste the renowned selection of wines and explore the Kay Family diaries dating from 1891.

As Ernest Whitington wrote in 1903 "If any people engaged in the industry deserve success they are the Kay Brothers, who have been at Amery for twelve years. The property is situated on the Vale side of Tintara, and the view from the house is one of the finest in South Australia. Looking towards Tintara the valley and hillsides are literally covered in vines, and at the time of my visit the autumnal tints of the leaves enhanced the beauty of the scene. Encircling behind are wooded hills, and then away in the dreamy distance is a blue haze covered range. Turn around and you are gazing over vines and ploughed land away to the sea. You see Aldinga Bay quite plainly. When I go to Amery and the exquisite landscape, the labour which seems to be one of love, and the contentment that prevails ever recalls one verse from Gray's Elegy!"

Kay Brothers