The vineyard is located on Chalk Hill Road some 1.5 km north east of the village of McLaren Vale. It comprises 11.7 hectares (over 70 rai) including 8.35 hectares (50 rai) are under vine and the remainder is preserved bushland. The picturesque property slopes down gently from Chalk Hill Road on the North to an old creek bed and large gum trees on the South. The preserved bushland provides a friend
ly environment for the local birds, especially the Murray Magpies and the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos as well as some kangaroos and koala bears, and the odd snake and lizard. McLaren Vale : McLaren Vale is a wine region approximately 35 km south of Adelaide in South Australia, and is internationally renowned for the wines it produces. Grapes were first planted in the region in 1838 and some vines more than 100 years old are still producing. Today there are more than 88 cellar doors in McLaren Vale, the majority of which are small family-run operations and boutique wineries. Wines : McLaren Vale wines are distinguished by their ripeness, elegance, structure, power and complexity. The McLaren Vale Shiraz is generally a densely colored, richly flovored wine, renowned for its great softness and rolling palate. It displays pronounced berry and spice characters with some dark chocolate and liquorice, while Shiraz from cooler sub-regions exhibits defined ripe raspberry characters. The McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon is generally full bodied and rich, often with a touch of dark chocolate intermixed and black currant. The tannins are plentiful but soft, and the wines have the structure for long aging. Climate : McLaren Vale has a Mediterranean climate with four clear seasons. With a dry warm Summer, the area has dry weather from December through to March or April, giving an easy change between summer and winter. It is gentle with long warm days and short cool nights. Winter rains of 580-700 mm per annum flow into a fresh spring. The region rarely experiences frost or drought due to its close proximity to the sea. Soil : There is a wide variety of soil types, a reflection of the varied terrain; red-brown sandy loams, grey-brown loamy sands with yellow clay subsoils interspersed with lime, distinctly sandy soils and patches of red or black friable loams are all to be found. As the long-standing and intensive viticulture attests, most soils in the region are well suited to grape growing.
