Winery & Vintage Info
Winemaking Notes
The result of block selection across Bremerton’s Langhorne Creek vineyards, with parcels kept separate and nurtured for maximum expression of Malbec varietal character. Malbec — a variety once popular in France and now most associated with Argentina and South West France — has a long history in Langhorne Creek, where the cool-climate conditions and rich flood plain soils of the Bremer River are exceptionally well suited to the variety.
Producer History
Bremerton Wines is a Willson family-owned estate in Langhorne Creek, South Australia — a region unique for its position on the rich soils of the Bremer River flood plain, with fresh cool evening breezes from Lake Alexandrina creating a microclimate of mild to warm summer days and cool evenings, perfect for the long, slow ripening that produces intense and sought-after cool-climate flavours. The area was first settled in the 1850s when English shipwright Frank Potts planted the district’s first vines; today Langhorne Creek covers approximately 6,000 hectares, making it the second largest grape-growing region in South Australia. The Willson family purchased the 40-hectare Bremerton Lodge property in 1985 — then an irrigated lucerne farm — and began experimenting with small batches of wine from 1988. A major flood in December 1992 forced a decisive review of the farm’s future, and it was in the aftermath of that flood that the decision was made to commit fully to wine grape production. Vines were planted progressively from 1991, the cellar door opened in 1994, and Bremerton has never looked back. Winemaker Rebecca Willson made her mark early — her first label at age 25, the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, won a trophy and was rated the third best Cabernet in Australia by Winestate magazine. Together with Marketing Manager Lucy Willson, the Willson Sisters have built Bremerton into one of the best-known brands from Langhorne Creek, with 120 hectares of high-quality vineyards, a modern winery, and James Halliday 5 Star Winery status for the past 17 years — placing Bremerton in the top 5% of all Australian wineries.
