2008

Awards

• The fruit from our Wrattonbully vineyard made the wine that won the Jimmy Watson Trophy in 2004.
• Our Barossa Shiraz was part of the world Shiraz alliance top dozen and was awarded 5 stars in the James Halliday 2008 wine guide.
• Our Sauvignon Blanc was named in the Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc’s in Australia and was also awarded 5 stars by James Halliday in his 2008 wine guide. It was also selected to be part of the ‘Prime Minister’s Dozen’.
• The Riesling won a Gold medal at the 2007 Adelaide Hills Wine show.
• The Sparkling GSM was given 89 points by Robert Parker.
• The Wrattonbully cabernet was awarded 4 stars by James Halliday in 2008 wine guide.  It also has two bronze and one silver medal.
• Named as the “Emerging Star” in Wrattonbully  Gourmet Traveller  Wine June/July edition 2008

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The ‘Greening’ of Our Business

Our vineyards are all run with minimal tillage and all natural fertilizers and as organically as we are able to be without certification as yet. We run our own sheep through the vineyard during winter to keep the growth down in the vineyards and also to provide natural fertilization. This also prevents compaction of the soils and avoids using fossil fuels to slash the vineyard.

All vineyards are drip irrigated and mulched in summer to ensure moisture is preserved in the soil and no water wastage.

We have planted a small forest on the Woodside vineyard as part of our offsetting programme, and are always looking  to extend our methods of managing our business more sustainably & increasing bio diversity in all of our agricultural pursuits.

We have recently completed an eco-mapping programme on our properties and are actively working towards becoming formally accredited as carbon neutral – given that Australia has only very recently signed agreements for this to be ratified this should hopefully be achieved in the very near future.

2007

Summer Newsletter 2007

Where has 2007 gone, one minute we were in the midst of vintage and with a blink of an eye 2008 is knocking on the door.  Next vintage is proving to be a very exciting time for us here at Barristers Block.  Our cellar door in Hahndorf  has closed and we are reopening in early 2008 at our very beautiful Woodside Vineyard on Onkaparinga Valley Road.  This in itself is no small undertaking.  The cellar door will be in part of the original farm buildings and we will also be catering for visitors who wish to sit and relax in the tranquil front garden and enjoy a Barristers Block Wine and gourmet platter.  The first thing that visitors will notice when driving in is the  beautiful rose lined driveway and the farmhouse that will be eventually will  be converted into a prestige Bed and Breakfast, focusing on the needs of people who want that little bit more.

The first few months of 2008 will be extremely busy for Barrister Block owners, with the 2008 Adelaide Crush Festival on the 9th of March.  We will be hosting a great family day, that will allow people to drive in and enjoy premium wines, gourmet baguettes, BBQ kebabs, and it would not be complete without the children’s favorite - sausage sizzle.  We are aware that to encourage families, value for money is important, so prices will be attractive.  To compliment the day, we are currently seeking the services of a jazz band and there are plenty of farm animal favorites to keep the children entertained.

The manicured front garden will be the home for the Barristers marquee.  Or if you prefer, bring a blanket and sit under the ghost gum and enjoy the surrounds.

Moving on from Crush, there is the ever popular Oakbank races weekend.  Again we will be utilizing the vineyard grounds and café for the race goers on the Sunday when there is a no racing on.  By now I’m sure you will get the idea that Barristers Block vineyard is lending itself to provide a special venue for any occasion.  If you wish to make inquiries please feel free to do so.

Jan Siemelink-Allen (Barristers Block owner and founder) has made great advances in the overseas market this year.  South-East Asia proving to be a great customer and just recently Germany.  This does not come without being totally committed and passionate about the brand.  This hard work has been acknowledge by the fact that Barristers Block has been awarded with the acclaimed James Halliday 4 ½ star rating.

With Christmas almost here it is the perfect time to stock up the fridge and cellar with some of Adelaide Hills best,  the favourite starter would have to be our Legally Red Sparkling GSM.  This complements the Christmas pork and turkey, or better still the brunch with smoked salmon.

If you wish to have a look on the Barristers Block website you will be able to make your selection, or just give us a call and we will  assist you in making your decision.  Barristers Block is the perfect gift for the discerning wine buff.  Our Shiraz and Cabernet will satisfy the fussiest red drinker and the Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are refreshing and elegant the perfect accompaniment with seafood. 

We at Barristers Block would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers for supporting us in 2007.  We wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas. 

All enquires please call Jan on 0427076237 or Margaret on 0404 116633.  We look forward to hearing from you.

2005

Some of you may have already enjoyed the first (N.V.) version of our lovely sparkling, recently featured in Winestate magazine (May/June 2006) - we now also have the 2005 vintage sparkling Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre available for you, to continue and enhance the standard set by its predecessor.  Come and try this one at our cellar door or, alternatively, simply send us an enquiry/order, either via e-mail or you can download an order form and fax or post it to us!  Naturally, all enquiries will be promptly responded to.

Now here’s some exciting news!  

We’ve recently acquired a quality vineyard in the Adelaide Hills (Woodside, to be precise - along Onkaparinga Valley Road, just on the outskirts of the township), which will provide us with an opportunity to present you with, among other things, a quality Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc in 2007 and beyond.  We’re also looking at setting up a quality environment at that location for you to enjoy your wine tasting in style, surrounded by flowing countryside, the Onkaparinga River, and - naturally - rolling vineyards as far as the eye can see.  Down the track, we envisage guests being able to enjoy more than just a glass of wine while enjoying this spectacular view, so stay tuned for updates - we’d love to see you there when the time comes!

And what about the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, I hear you say?  Well, that one’s just about ready to tantalise your tastebuds, is also made from quality Adelaide Hills fruit, and has us very excited about its freshness and classic Adelaide Hills flavour. 

Further, apart from our NV GSM and our 2004 Riesling receiving glowing reviews in industry magazines, our 2004 Shiraz was recently included in a ‘Best of the Barossa’ dozen after participating in the 2006 International Shiraz Alliance!  That one just keeps improving in the bottle and will continue to do so for a while yet. 

Did you know that the BB wine you enjoy may well be simultaneously quaffed in locations as far away as Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Germany, The Netherlands, Chile and the U.S. (okay, okay, maybe the last few are having them for breakfast), to mention but a few places that have become intimately acquainted with the quality BB (no, not Big Brother….) stands for?    

 

‘Stop press’

The Barristers Block Premium Wines stand proved a popular presence in July at ‘Wine Australia’.  The quality of our wines continues to be acknowledged by industry and consumers alike and interest in the new 2006 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc and the 2005 GSM especially was very strong.  Other than the obvious quality of the wines, our popularity may also have benefited favourably from the presence of a delightful young Adelaide lady by the name of ‘Tilly’, who earlier this year spent some time in the ‘Big Brother’ household, and was recognised by more than the occasional passer-by; she happens to be the girlfriend of Lachlan, one of the BB principals! Both Lachlan and Tilly did a great job presenting the Barristers Block range to Sydney.