barossa

Named by Colonel William Light in 1837, in memory of the British victory over the French in the ‘Battle of Barrosa’ in which he fought in 1811. However, a misspelling on official documents left the region with the name ‘Barossa’. Our Barossa vineyard sites of Kabininge on the Barossa Valley floor, near Tanunda, and in the northern Barossa our St Kitts vineyard adds to the diversity of the Thorn-Clarke estate plantings.

kabininge

In stark contrast to Eden Valley, the 33 hectare Kabininge vineyard is true Barossa Valley floor terroir. At just 270 metres above sea level and located on dark grey to dark brown carbonaceous soils (known as Bay of Biscay) red winegrapes ripen easily here. By monitoring soil moisture levels to limit yield and berry size, we can achieve exceptional red wines with superb varietal flavour and concentration.

The vineyard is predominantly Shiraz – the variety for which the Barossa Valley is best known – supported by smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

• Elevation: 270m
• Rainfall: 500mm

st kitts & truro

Cooler and with lower rainfall than Kabininge, these northern Barossa vineyards totalling 103ha, are at an elevation of between 380 and 410 metres.

This micro-climate restricts yields and the thin, moderately well developed residual soils overlying marble, schist, Truro Volcanics and Heatherdale Shale necessitated a careful vineyard layout matching variety to soil type.

These tough conditions make vines work hard and as a result, the flavour profile is intense and acid levels high, providing the resources for long-living red wines and full flavoured whites. Shiraz is particularly well suited to this environment.

Shiraz again is the predominant variety supported by a diverse red planting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec along with the Spanish Graciano and the famous French white variety, Viognier.

• Elevation: 390 metres
• Rainfall: 480 mm