Western Australia
Clairault Streicker Wines – Margaret River, WA
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Clairault Streicker is a family-owned grower and caretaker of four distinct vineyards in Margaret River. They produce classically styled and exclusively estate-grown wines, authentic to the region. The Clairault Vineyard, established in 1976, is one of the oldest vineyards in Margaret River and is also home to the signature cellar door and Vineyard Kitchen. Their Ironstone vineyard sits in the heart of Wilyabrup and the Bridgeland Vineyard sits in the cooler Karridale sub-region. Besides wine grapes, protea flowers are grown at the Yallingup Protea Farm & Vineyard, and the distinctive labels of Streicker wines represent different 'pairings' of varieties of proteas and grapes.
5 ★ winery | clairaultstreickerwines.com.au | Halliday profile
Forester Estate – Margaret River, WA
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Forester Estate is owned by Kevin and Jenny McKay. The name is a nod to the forestry industry that thrived here in the 1850s. Winemaker Todd Payne has had a distinguished career, working in Great Southern, the Napa Valley, Hawke’s Bay and the northern Rhône, including a vintage with esteemed producer Yves Cuilleron, before moving back to WA to complete the circle. The estate vineyards were planted in 1995 and fruit from older vines is sourced from other growers in the region. Forester Estate aims to produce quality wines showcasing the distinct regional characters of northern Margaret River fruit. – James Halliday
3.5 ★ winery | foresterestate.com.au | Halliday profile
South Australia
Claymore Wines – Clare Valley, SA
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Claymore Wines, situated in the beautiful Clare Valley of South Australia, has been crafting wine for 25 years. Their aim is to capture in the bottle their life’s passions – wine, music and football – to create the ultimate experience. Fruit is drawn from their five premium estate-owned vineyards across Watervale (home to our Joshua Tree vineyard) Leasingham and Auburn, sites that have been specifically chosen for their suitability for their hero varieties – shiraz, riesling, grenache and cabernet sauvignon. The songs, albums and artists that inspire many of their labels reflect the soundtrack of their lives and resonate beyond their time, across generations.
4 ★ winery | claymorewines.com.au | Halliday profile
Grounded Cru – McLaren Vale, SA
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Grounded Cru draws fruit from high-quality vineyards in McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek. Makers Geoff Thompson and Matt Jackman believe these regions ‘talk to each other’ due to a complementary patina of mesoclimates, soil types, rainfall, altitude and varying degrees of maritime influence. With sound alignment in their philosophies and simply what they like to drink, the Grounded Cru approach is one that seeks textural intrigue over obvious fruit, with European styling melded to Australian generosity.
5 ★ winery | groundedcru.com.au | Halliday profile
Langmeil Winery – Barossa Valley, SA
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Langmeil Winery offer far more than just a tasting. They share great wines, explain how they make them, and immerse visitors in their history and, of course, the romance of it all, providing a complete Barossa experience. Langmeil Winery is a family business in the true sense of the word. As their many loyal and regular visitors will attest, you'll feel like part of the family in their tasting room. Book a Freedom Experience or an Old Vine Garden Experience by phoning the tasting room on 08 8563 2595. Open daily from 10am–4pm.
5 ★ winery | langmeilwinery.com.au | Halliday profile
Mount Benson Estate – Mount Benson, SA
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The future of Mount Benson isn’t easy to foresee. Both climate and soil offer rich rewards for those who understand the extreme differences between the four seasons (for humans as well as vines). The owners of Mount Benson Estate have one obvious advantage: husband Brian Nitschinsk served for 39 years in the Australian Navy, retiring as a commander engineer. Figuratively, Mount Benson (a puny rise measured in only tens of metres) has one foot in the Southern Ocean and one foot on the ground, so Brian should feel right at home. Wife Carolyn was a secondary school teacher specialising in art and visual communication. Thus, the cold windswept landscape of winter is something they can surely cope with. The legacy of two generations of the founding Wehl family already demonstrated the ability of the vineyard to produce shiraz of exceptional quality, cabernet sauvignon not far behind. – James Halliday
mountbensonestate.com.au | Halliday profile
Yalumba – Eden Valley, SA
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From 175 years comes a family legacy steeped in exceptional craft and brilliant fine wine stories. Passed down through six generations of the Hill-Smith Family is an unwavering commitment and inherent desire to forge a future for Australian fine wine. Iconic regions, distinctive varieties, from vines amongst the oldest in the world. Yalumba – a fine wine legacy 175 years in the making.
5 ★ winery | yalumba.com | Halliday profile
Zerella Wines – McLaren Vale, SA
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Jim Zerella continues to write another chapter in his family's rich story of migration and strong connection with the land. Jim's land is now McLaren Vale – his home and the region in which his vineyard holdings span some 58ha. His passion for the soil translates to a one-eyed focus on growing ultra-premium fruit, with carefully selected parcels steered toward the Zerella Wines brand. From McLaren Vale staples such as shiraz and grenache to a burgeoning range of Italian varietals under the La Gita label, Jim's winemaking ethos is built on one simple principle – produce wines 'where fruit is alive in the glass'.
4 ★ winery | zerellawines.com.au | Halliday profile
Tasmania
Gala Estate – East Coast Tasmania
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In 1821 brothers Adam and John Amos fled Galashiels in Scotland and settled in Cranbrook on the East Coast of Tasmania. The pioneering family set out to build a better life for themselves, bringing cattle, sheep, pigs, wheat, barley and even the seed for the oak tree in their front garden. 200 years later, the family are still living and loving this land, where they breathe the world's cleanest air and are surrounded by four wild rivers and five private forest reserves. This pristine environment and their connection to the land allows them to consistently make some of Tasmania's most powerful pinots and expressive chardonnays.
4 ★ winery | galaestate.com.au | Halliday profile
Moores Hill Estate – Northern Tasmania
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Moores Hill Estate is located on a northeast-facing hillside, in the beautiful Tamar Valley. The 5.6ha vineyard was first planted in 1997 and consists of pinot noir, riesling, pinot gris and chardonnay. Moores Hill became Tasmania’s first 100 per cent solar-powered winery in 2017, with all the wines made on site using green energy. In 2022, James and Constance took ownership after moving from the Yarra Valley. Their goal is to build on the existing sustainability ethos and improve the vineyard by implementing regenerative agricultural practices.
4.5 ★ winery | mooreshill.com.au | Halliday profile
Victoria
Wine x Sam –Central Victoria Zone, VIC
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"The Plunkett family helped pioneer grape growing in the Strathbogie Ranges, planting the first vines there in 1968. In the mid-2000s, Plunkett Wines went into partnership with the Fowles family and many wine awards and accolades followed. That business arrangement dissolved in 2011 and Sam Plunkett and his wife, Bronwyn Dunwoodie, began exploring new opportunities...Online wine retailer Naked Wines placed its first order and Wine x Sam took off." – Jeni Port. In 2016 they opened a retro chic urban winery in a former mid-century industrial building in Seymour. In addition to their own vineyards, the couple have access to 53ha of Plunkett family vines and source from growers in the Strathbogie Ranges (Booroola), Heathcote (Tait Hamilton) and Central Victoria (Gentle Annie).
4.5 ★ winery | winebysam.com.au | Halliday profile
Wren Estate – Heathcote, VIC
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Michael Wren, winemaker and owner of Wren Estate, has been making wine for over 18 years across multiple continents. For 10 years he was a Flying Winemaker for one of Portugal’s top wineries, Esporao, and was particularly struck by the use of lagares for top-quality wines. Lagares are low, wide, open red-wine fermenters that allow foot treading (or stomping) with the level of must little more than knee deep. The consequence is the very soft, yet high, extraction of colour, flavour and soft tannins. The red wine fermenters in the Wren winery are replicas of the traditional lagares. The vineyard (of 14.5ha) sits in a 52ha property and was planted in 2002, the shiraz with 16 different clone and rootstock combinations, giving Michael priceless information on the vagaries of the site. Each block is picked, fermented and aged separately, the best in a limited release single-block series. All the premium wines are individually barrel selected. Exports to the US. – James Halliday
New South Wales
Audrey Wilkinson – Hunter Valley, NSW
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Audrey Wilkinson is one of the most historic and beautiful properties in the Hunter Valley, known for its stunning views and pristine vineyards. It was the first vineyard planted in Pokolbin, in 1866. The property was acquired in '04 by the late Brian Agnew and has been owned and operated by his family since. The wines, made predominantly from estate-grown grapes, are released in 3 tiers: Audrey Wilkinson Series, Winemakers Selection and Reserve. – James Halliday
5 ★ winery | audreywilkinson.com.au | Halliday profile
