OUR WINE NAMES
The Reward
Eden Valley Shiraz
Eden Valley’s unerring ability to convert patience, detail and good husbandry into a recognized and distinctive Shiraz signature. As our signature wine we have established five different clones of Eden Valley Shiraz in the one vineyard and reworked the vineyard to best express the clonal characteristics of each selection over the last few years.
The Encounter
Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
An unexpected moment of significance that becomes a record of truth and promise. On Tuesday the 27th September 1859 John Heath records in his diary the meeting between himself and Jimmy Christmas, the last chief of the Peremangk tribe who had lived in Eden Valley for 20,000 years. The aboriginal people moved or died from contact with European diseases and this meeting is the last recorded encounter with the local aboriginals that we know of.
The Belief
Eden Valley Sagrantino
A faith that conviction always travels ahead of proof and accepted wisdom. A licence for imagination. From the time I saw Sagrantino at a tasting in 1986 I decided I wanted to grow the variety on my property in Eden Valley. It took me thirteen years from then to bottle my first commercial quantity of 30 dozen in 2010. Sourcing the cuttings from Chalmers nurseries initially took three years as they were allowed only to import two vines from Umbria in Italy. I fell in love with the savoury flavour and rich generosity of the wine making it perfect to be enjoyed with our local smoked meats and cheeses.
The Witness
Eden Valley Riesling
A quietly observed act of faith, Riesling is Eden Valley’s most reliable account of site and season. Our Riesling grows on the stoniest meanest soil near the top of a hill. It struggles to flourish in the best of seasons, but in doing so develops the mineral citrus and aromatic characters that show through in the wine. There are 4 clones of Riesling in the vineyard, all vertically shoot positioned and cane pruned. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressed. Each year the Riesling is truly witness to its struggle and accurately reflects the vintage.
The Angry Rabbit
Eden Valley Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon
‘The Angry Rabbit’ was inspired from a ‘seemingly angry rabbit image’ painted on a coffee cup by my then young grandsons in 2005. I was in discussion over a coffee about the downturn in demand for wine-grapes and the corresponding decline in price. I commented that “He’s an a angry looking rabbit! That’s not a bad name for a wine.” I Trademarked ‘The Angry Rabbit’ the next day. That was in 2006 so a decade of ‘The Rabbit’ is fast approaching. It has become one of our biggest selling wines and very popular with the Bistro market as sales by the glass.
