Winery & Vintage Info
In 1853 our Kalleske farm and vineyard was established at Moppa, a small sub-district of Greenock in the Barossa’s North-West. The Moppa district was a flourishing settlement of pioneering farming families and gold miners. There were few schools in the region, so local parents established the Moppa Public School in 1873 to give their children a formal education. Located on our Kalleske property, generations of the Kalleske family attended this school until its closure in 1935.
Sourced entirely from our Kalleske Moppa vineyard, a trace of Petit Verdot and Viognier has been added to this Shiraz giving it a contemporary edge. This is a genuine hand made wine that’s been grown, vintaged and matured on our Kalleske estate in Moppa.
Vintage 2023 has produced exceptional wines. It was the longest and latest on record, stretching from mid-March to early-May. The vines got off to a superb start with a wet and cool Spring providing plenty of sub-soil moisture for the growing season ahead. Summer typically brought average temperatures and was generally dry with occasional finite rain. The vines were in fantastic condition for slow and steady ripening into Autumn with its mild days, cool nights, and isolated light rain. Yields from 2023 are good and quality is excellent.
Moppa is predominantly Shiraz with a trace of Petit Verdot (6%) and Viognier (4%) blended in for added complexity. Grapes are from ten different blocks on the Kalleske’s organic farm, with the oldest of these blocks planted in 1961. The vines are low-yielding and are grown in shallow, sandy loam soil over superb deep red clay, providing ideal conditions for these varieties.
The Shiraz was harvested in numerous batches from March to April. One lot of Shiraz was co-fermented on the skins of Viognier. The Petit Verdot is a late ripener and was harvested late April. All batches were wild fermented in open top fermenters with hand pump-overs twice a day during fermentation. After 7 to 14 days on skins the fermented grapes were traditionally pressed. The wine was aged in hogshead barrels for thirteen months. Approximately 20% new French, American and Hungarian oak was used with the balance seasoned barrels. On completion of maturation, a portion of Petit Verdot and Shiraz/Viognier was blended for added complexity.
