Century old vines

It's been the driest spring for 100 years. But the resilience of old dry grown Shiraz is amazing. Pictured is our 108 year old dam block Shiraz, planted in 1905. Destined for Eduard Shiraz these vines are looking very good considering how dry the growing season has been. Likely to be harvested next week, quality should be stunning... Troy Kalleske.

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Vintage in full swing

Vintage 2013 has kicked off with Shiraz being harvested in the past few days. Ferments are beginning converting the sweet grape juice into flavoursome wine. Pictured is Alex, our vintage cellarhand from South Africa, pumping over a Shiraz ferment... Troy Kalleske.

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Vintage about to begin...

Vintage is almost upon us. At the moment we're wondering through the numerous blocks assessing flavour and sweetness for optimum maturity. Pictured are Chenin Blanc, still about a week away from harvest.... Troy Kalleske.

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Almost Vintage

Well, it’s the 1st of February, holiday season well and truly over and almost time for vintage. The start to vintage 2013 is now only about 2 weeks away with the Chenin Blanc and first of the Shiraz likely to be harvested mid February. This is about 2-3 weeks earlier than normal due to the extreme drought we've experienced in the past 9 months.

The vintage 2013 winter and growing season has been about 50% drier than normal and it has also been warmer too. This has resulted in very low crop levels on the vine and as a result earlier ripening. So quantity will be down, however, quality at this stage is looking sensational. Berries are very small giving a high skin to juice ratio and hence excellent colour and flavour intensity. We'll ultimately only know in the next few months but so far looking good for some stunning wines from 2013 - Troy Kalleske.

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Put Moppa on your list!

Well we've just got settled back into the New Year and already a month’s up! Not too long now before we welcome back the familiar sights, sounds & smells of vintage.

We have been receiving some really positive feedback for our wines this month, in particular our current 2011 red’s.

Below is a recent article by Mike Burnett we would like to share with you, that talks up our 2011 Moppa Shiraz amongst other current releases.

“Australia’s wine industry does a fair job of lining up price and quality. 

The price of wines can be and is questioned and argued about one way or the other – too much or great buying. 

Wine publications often run a ‘best buys’ category. A wine that deserves to be on those lists is the 2011 Kalleske Moppa Shiraz (about $28).

The 2011 Moppa is the value pick in an impressive line-up of reds from the certified organic producer in South Australia’s Barossa Valley. The other Kalleske family releases are the 2012 Clarry’s GSM red blend, 2011 Merchant Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Greenock Shiraz, 2011 Old Vine Grenache and Eduard Shiraz. If you have the money by all means pick up the layered rich and powerful Eduard, but the Moppa is a more than adequate substitute to impress or place on the dinner table.

Interestingly, the Moppa comes out of a vintage that was not highly rated and demonstrates that good wines can be missed if those assessments are rigidly followed. Although labelled as a shiraz, the Moppa is more a contemporary style than the traditional big Barossa styles with a small percentage of petit Verdot and a mix of shiraz-viognier added to give the wine lift on the nose and palate.

Complexity has been built by a broad selection of new and old oak, with the standard French and American joined by Hungarian and Russian. It adds up to a package with concentrated red fruits, balanced oak, spice and light herbal hints.

While the praise has been for the Moppa, the other wines are not too shabby either.

The 2011 Merchant Single Vineyard Cabernet is at this stage a step back in drinking quality from the Moppa but appears to have a lot of life ahead of it that should see it get even better. 

The 2011 Greenock Shiraz is another single-vineyard wine that has plenty to offer, with rich cherry, plum and berry fruit flavours that are rounded out by a touch of pepper and background oak.

Grenache from old vines in the Barossa is one of Australia’s most fascinating and enduring wine styles. They are usually big, full, dark and earthy, the 2011 Old Vine Grenache is no exception”.
- Mike Burnett

Featured: Launceston Examiner, Tasmania - January 14th 2013

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Kalleske team.

Well that's another year almost gone! And from all of us here at Kalleske, we would like to thank you for your support and wish you a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. We hope it's filled with love, laughter and good times shared with family and friends.

It's been an eventful year at Kalleske, from taking out 'Biodynamic Wine of the Year' at the London International Wine Challenge to recently being awarded the winner of the 'InterContinental Sustainability Award' at the 2012 Advantage SA Regional Awards night. Not to mention Troy being inducted as a 'Baron of Barossa'.

There's a lot planned for 2013 already and we look forward to sharing it with you soon. Until the New Year, take care and have fun!

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2012 Clarry's GSM - Top 25 Wines Under $25

Well we have only just released it, but it's great to see Tony Love rate our 2012 Clarry's GSM in the top 25 wines for under $25 in the Daily Telegraph, Sydney via taste.com.au

Top 25 Wines Under $25

Kalleske 2012 Clarry's GSM
4.5 Stars
“The previous 2011 release of this wine was named the international biodynamic wine of the year at the International Wine Challenge in the UK. Here, fresh and bouncy, is the latest GSM release – red berry juicy and sweet, exotic, spicy, pure and simply slurpy, and blended with great clarity for easy drinking”. - Tony Love, Daily Telegraph, November 6th 2012

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