Winery & Vintage Info
The De Bortoli family story is one of determination and triumph that started 90 years ago in war-torn Europe and is now told, generations later, across Australia.
Their heritage encompasses the universal story of immigrants making good in an adopted land, the rise and rise of the Australian wine industry and the tale of a hardworking and innovative family who considers good wine, good food and good friends to be among the true pleasures in life.
Their philosophy is that great wine begins in the vineyard and should reflect the region where the grapes that made it are grown. Achieving this must involve both vineyard and winery.
In the vineyard, it means thoughtful site selection, vine maturity and a move towards sustainable, biological farming practices that deliver exceptional fruit quality and real environmental benefits. It also involves an increasing embrace of single vineyard wines.
In the winery, it’s all about restraint, minimal interference and allowing the wine to ‘make itself’. With our winemaking, the mantra "it’s harder to do nothing" expresses our approach.
Chief winemaker Steve Webber believes that to make wines of "detail, texture and minerality, charm and interest" it has to be about "site and season". "Character and personality in wine comes from the imperfections of nature".
The 2022 Woodfired Shiraz fruit was sourced from several vineyards in Northern Heathcote. The ancient red Cambrian soils are ideal for dark fruited, delicious red wine. 2022 was a cooler growing season producing perfume and concentration in spades.
De-stemmed and fermented at 25-30°C over 7-10 days. Pressed and matured in vats and casks for 8 months. Racked and aerated regularly to soften the wine. Vineyards carefully selected for a balance of fruit weight and ripeness.
