$3199each $383DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$3199each $383DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Everything made at the Kay Brother wineworks gets a passage through the estate's famous eighty year old basket press, a gentle treatment which achieves exquisite palate softness. The unique expression of vintage is preserved each year by a delicate balance in the mix of new and prior use oak barrels. One of McLaren Vale's first vineyards, the Amery property was initially sown to seven acres of vine in the 1860s. The brothers Kay acquired the land in 1891, introducing plantings from Hardy's Tintara, four precious acres which remain productive to this day.

$3199each $383DOZEN EACH DOZEN The winemaking practices at Kay Brothers have remained largely unchanged since establishment in the nineteenth century. An ancient basket press, painted bright red in colour, takes pride of place. Arriving somewhat late in the history of Amery Vineyards, the earliest vintages were passed through a hand crusher and then by a horse which traversed round a capstan. A collation of Shiraz parcels are harvested off Kay Brother's estate, much of it very old vine material. Fruit is vinified in good old fashioned open fermenters, hand plunged and transferred via traditional, 1928 vintage basket press, into a selection of seasoned and new, American and European oak barrels for fourteen months maturation.

Dark purple in colour. Rich plum and roast beetroot, blackberries and tobacco leaf dominate the nose with savoury dried spices adding complexity. Medium to full bodied, the lively fruits continue on the palate with briary berries upfront and fuller flavours of roast gravy on the finish. Supported by a tight acidity and grainy tannins, all underscored by a hint of wood smoke that sees the palate finishing focused and long.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. In 1891 Herbert and Frederick Kay ordered 30,000 cuttings of Shiraz from the Thomas Hardy Tintara Vineyard. The original plantings were dry grown and pruned to bush vines, neglected over time they grew into something of a tangled mess, fondly referred to as the pumpkin patch. Today, Kay Brothers have returned to the precious Block 6 and take aim at a timeless representation of Australian Shiraz, rich, impenetrable and packed with flavour, fashioned from the fuit of vines with a provenance that's second to none.

$12599each $1511DOZEN EACH DOZEN After decades of love and care, Block 6 has been redeveloped and nursed back to health. The present four acres comprise a corner of red loam, some rather heavy clay in the middle and gravelly alluvial soils on the lower side. After some rufurbishments, drip irrigation was installed and water is now used to maintain vine health and optimise fruit quality. Grapes are hand picked and filled to the original open top fermenters, the musts are macerated before being treated to plunges with traditional head boards. Upon completion of ferments and passage through the 1930s basket press, Block 6 Shiraz is matured in a selection of European and American oak casks for eighteen months prior to bottling.

Deep cherry black/ purple in colour. Sweet fruit perfume of black cherries and blackberry, white pepper and spice over subtle toasty oak. A rich and round, soft and voluptuous, fruit driven Shiraz with a hint of confectionery sweetness in the background. A very approachable full bodied combination of blueberries and plum, ribena and mocha chocolate, spice box, vanilla and pepper fill the palate with decadently delicious flavours.

Cuthbert Thornborough Kay saw service in World War II, he was an ardent enthusiast of full bodied reds and established the finest Cabernet blocks in all McLaren Vale. The Kay Brothers cellar door, which is part of the original Amery Vineyards wineworks, boasts some stunning panoramic views of the surrounding picturesque valleys and hillsides. It was selected, as much for its scenic views of McLaren Vale, as it was for the fortuitous soils and magnificent winegrowing climes. A beautifully composed, decidedly regional articulation of McLaren Cabernet Sauvignon.

$5099each $611DOZEN EACH DOZEN The warm temperate climes, cool moist winters, warm dry summers and proximity to the sea ensures that frost, which is a debilitating agent in many viticultural areas, is virtually unknown. The Kay Brothers vineyard receives a rainfall of approximately 550mm year and excellent vines are grown on a wide range of soils, the predominant being ironstone gravel. Cabernet Sauvignon is traditionally open fermented for ten days on skins, passed through the 1928 vintage basket press into French oak barriques and matured twenty two months.

Deep ruby hues. Lovely aromas of mint, blackberries and cassis, juicy winegum characters and a fragrant whiff of amaretti. Soft and supple palate, gentle flavours of liquorice, mulberry, sweet and savoury soy, allsorts and dark chocolate box assortment, all supported by fine grained chalky tannins that linger on the finish.

The Heritage listed Kay Brothers Amery celebrated its first grape crush in 1895 and is the oldest McLaren Vale winery still in founding family hands. The precious vineyards are planted exclusively to cuttings from the original 1892 Block 6 Shiraz site. The Block 6 clone, from which all Kay Brothers Amery Shiraz vines are derived, is unique in that it consistently provides fruit that makes superior, long lived wines. A fully approachable Shiraz with massive concentration of fruit, by a cult winery which continues to deliver world class wine.

$5099each $611DOZEN EACH DOZEN Bordering St. Vincents Gulf, Amery Vineyards grace the rolling foothills of the Southern Mt. Lofty Ranges. Amery Shiraz is a gutsy, entry level Kay Brothers wine of pedigree and lineage, for those who love big, full bodied, fruit driven, tooth staining McLaren Vale reds. What a pleasure it is for the team to handle fruit of this quality, the grapes are just so winemaker friendly. Vinified to a combination of ancient old world techniques including open fermentation and passage through an eighty year old basket press, a gentle and highly traditional process which achieves a rich, soft palate. The finished wine was placed in American oak barriques to develop complexity over the next year and a half.

Colour is a deep ruby red. A nose of dark cherry, blackberry, mint, white pepper, vanilla bean and caraway seed. Round and generous fleshy fruit, rich with plums, blackberry and mulberries, cedar, spices and truffle. A balanced, tight acidity together with soft integrated tannins shows good complexity and palate persistence. A wine of rich silken fruit, soft layered persistent tannins, finely pitched acidity and subtle vanillin oak influence, decanting for at least an hour is recommended.

A vineyard of great historical import, Hillside was initially planted in 1892 with stock acquired from sites owned by the Thomas Hardy Wine Company. A redevelopment of the eastern slope at Hillside commenced on the centenary, transferring cuttings across from the hundred year old Kay Brothers Block 6. Hillside Shiraz is about as old fashioned in the Australian claret style of wine as you can get, crafted from intensely flavoured berries, hand picked off seminal vines, treated to a traditional, open fermentation and manual basket press.

$5099each $611DOZEN EACH DOZEN The Kay Brothers McLaren Vale Amery Vineyards grace the rolling foothills of southern Mt.Lofty Ranges. Established in 1890 by Herbert and Frederick Kay, the heritage listed Kays Amery wineworks celebrated their first crush in 1895 and are the oldest McLaren Vale winery still in founding family hands. The view from the homestead, over the sprawling vineyards towards Tintara is breathtaking, the valley and hillsides are literally covered in vines. Grapes are picked throughout the cool of early morning, vinified in open fermenters and treated to a still functional, antique basket press. The finished wine is matured twenty months in a selection of seasoned and new, large format American and European oak.

Deep inky purple colour. Initially the nose is dominated by bright rich black mulberries, satsuma plum and dark chocolate. A swirl of the glass reveals cinnamon, charred sage and roast prunes, white pepper and a trace of mint. Rich, juicy, generous flavours of blackberries and mocha, bacon and a hint of eucalypt. The finish is soft yet supple and the aftertaste just goes on and on. Decanting is essential.

Vincenzo Conte immigrated to Australia in 1952, sowing Shiraz and Mataro vines on a property just outside of Shepparton. His son took over management of the precious low yielding vineyard until 2003, when the site came to the attention of a seasoned old salt with a deep penchant for small batch, Rhone varietal wines. Keith Brien makes old world styles, with a view to bottle development of each vintage before release. The powerful mouthfilling richness and velvet textures are complemented by a length of deep, fine tannins, the fruit of cosseted, unirrigated old vines.

$2399each $287DOZEN EACH DOZEN Keith Brien has been a winemaker for decades, establishing his own label under the Silver Wings moniker. Brien continues to pursue his passion for making long lived, superior vineyard wines, he is consumed by his love for the old vine styles of Valley Rhone, Shiraz, Mourverdre and Grenache, assembling the noble trio into exquisite wines of rich, spicy rich flavours supported by deep and delicious, tannic complexities. Mataro is harvested off the Vincenzo Conte block in Shepparton and treated to macerations for maximal extract of colour, flavour and tannin. The ferments are transferred to a selection of seasoned and new French and American oak hogsheads for malolactic and extended maturation.

Deep garnet red. Violets and bramble are supported by a seasoning of gamey spice notes, milled peppercorn and clove. A fragrant red cherry palate, underpinned by layers of savoury fruit characters, black olive, leather and thyme. An earthy, pastoral style on a framework of firm, sleek tannins and supple, disciplined cinnamon oak, the perfect accompaniement to a length of flame grilled, wild boar snags.

Small batch, artisanally crafted old world style Shiraz, from parched little grapes picked off a block of gnarled vines, established by Vincenzo Conte at Shepparton in the 1950s. Keith Brien was a commercial pilot who took a keen interest in all things oenological. He made the transition to viticulture after working vintages alongside eminent winemakeing identities in Pommard. Brien remains true to his principles of exceptional provenance, he sources from bespoke sites with limited yields and a quality of fruit that's second to none. Victorian Old Vine Shiraz at its sublime best.

$2399each $287DOZEN EACH DOZEN Shiraz grapes are picked off the Vincenzo Conte block at Shepparton, precious old vines yielding a meagre 1.4 tonnes/acre. The gnarled old veterans have developed a natural affinity for the rugged terroirs and warmer climes of Goulburn. Fruit is crushed and treated to a spell of cold soak before traditional vinification. Batches are pressed off skins and held for a term on gross solids until completion of ferments and extended maceration, followed by transfer to a selection of seasoned French and American oak hogsheads for a course of malolactic and two years maturation. Bottled after racking, assemblage into the final wine and minimal filtration, two years after vintage.

Dark crimson red. Fragrant black bramble fruit notes followed by ribena plums, sticky black cherries seasoned by peppered anise and cocoa cedar oak. A concentration of fruit on the expansive palate, festive cakes and licorice spice, underpinned by earthiness and crisp, drying tannins. A Shiraz that evolves as it breathes, splendid alongside slow braised and corned brisket or gourmandize goat shepherds pie.

The flagship of the Keith Brien range, a precious parcel of old vines Mourverdre vinified alongside a choice harvest of Shiraz, all picked off an exquisite low yielding vineyard. Keith Brien has been consumed by a passion for obscure old sites, ever since a tour of duty amongst the vineyards of La Bourgogne in the 1970s. He treasures his time spent inspecting the old plantings and ripening of fruit, earmarking the pick of crop for an old fashioned vinification and extended term of age, albeit amazingly accessible to the discerning enthusiast at large.

$2999each $359DOZEN EACH DOZEN When Keith Brien began nuturing the Vincenzo Conte vineyard back to health in 2003, the property required an extensive effort, new trellises were built and state of the art viticultural programs were introduced. Though the gnarled and twisted old vines clearly display their struggle for survival in the meagre soils, they have returned to yielding a harvest of the most extraordinary fruit with every vintage. Parcels of Mataro and Shiraz are crushed, pressed off skins and treated to a term of cold soak before a traditional vinification. Upon completion of ferments and extended maceration, batches are filled to a selection of seasoned and new French and American oak hogsheads for malolactic and two years maturation.

Deep blackish purple. Dark berry and plum perfumes, anise and cocoa are supported by an earthiness which compliments the brooding fruit. Tightly structured palate, a concentration of mouth filling, spicy fruit flavours, balanced by background oak and fine drying tannins. An excellent length of finish makes Keith Brien the ideal partner to succulent game or braised beef in red wine jus.

$3199each $383DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$4299each $515DOZEN EACH DOZEN