Winery & Vintage Info
Winemaker and proprietor Kevin Mitchell purchased the property of the same name in the hamlet of Penwortham in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley. Hailing from a long line of wine grape growers, Kevin now had the opportunity to turn the vision of creating his own wine brand into a reality.
Kevin's father Mort Mitchell has been a defining influence, planting and tending to Kilikanoon's Golden Hillside suite of vineyards including the famed Mort's Block, for over 40 years. Kevin's fascination with terroir is a result of years spent playing and eventually working in these vineyards alongside his father. The first Kilikanoon branded wines from the 1997 vintage were four single vineyard wines, each from Kevin and Mort's vineyards. These were the 'Oracle' Shiraz, 'Prodigal' Grenache, 'Blocks Road' Cabernet and 'Mort's Block' Watervale Riesling.
Parcels were picked over the course of a week at ideal stages and were loaded directly into the waiting presses at the winery. The bright free run juice was allowed to drain and held separately, prior to gently pressing the grapes. Settled naturally, the clarified juice was allowed to warm and commence fermentation. The ferment was held at low temperatures to retain the soft aromas and fine acid line.
