Biscay Road

Just a handful of vineyards in the Barossa are planted on the unique, highly reactive black clay known as Bay of Biscay. These dark soils make viticulture challenging – when wet, they’re sticky and hard to work with, and, when dry, they harden and crack – but the tremendously rich colour and intensity of flavour these soils lend red wines make the challenges worth it. Across 46ha just outside Tanunda, Biscay Road, launched in ’23 by 4th-generation vigneron Alan Hickinbotham, grows shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, mataro and grenache on deep Biscay soils. Some of the fruit is sold to Barossa wineries under contract and the rest is used by winemaker Dan Graham (also of Sigurd Wines) to produce Biscay Road’s own small range of wines. -ANNA WEBSTER