Another SA vineyard changes hands amid industry squeeze
Consolidation of South Australia’s vineyards continues, with an historic site in the Barossa sold to a top SA winemaker.
South Australian wine label Alkina Wine Estate has purchased the historic Trial Hill vineyard in Eden Valley from Barossa vigneron Joel Mattschoss.
It is the latest major wine industry deal in a big week of news for the sector, with InDaily yesterday reporting that the Nepenthe cellar door and vineyard was sold by Australian Vintage for $5 million.
While the price paid by Alkina remains undisclosed, the deal will see the Barossa-based label take over the eight-hectare Tiral Hill site.
It adds to Alkina’s original 43-hectare vineyard at Greenock, expanding the company’s holdings within the Barossa and giving the label access to old vines grown at altitude.
“We have a long-held belief that the great wines of the world come from truly great sites,” Alkina owner Alejandro Bulgheroni said.
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“Markets and styles may change, but places with real individuality, history and the capacity to create distinctive wines will endure.
“This belief underpins our confidence that Australian Grenache can sit comfortably amongst the great wines of the world, and we believe this historic site in Eden Valley will further enable us to explore that potential.”
The Trial Hill vineyard was originally part of the Pewsey Vale Property established by Joseph Gilbert, who planted the area’s first vines in 1847.
The vineyard specialises in Grenache, Shiraz and Riesling vines, which are estimated to be about 80 years old.
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In a media statement, the company revealed its plans to establish an additional terraced, bush-vine Grenache vineyard on the upper slopes of the land that rises steeply to approximately 550 metres at its highest point.
The new vines would place the vineyard among the highest Grenache vineyards in Australia.
Alkina winemaker and managing director Amelia Nolan said she had “admired this beautiful vineyard for many years, with its sweeping views across the Barossa and extraordinary amphitheatre-like contours”.
“Old Grenache vines at this altitude are a finite resource in Australia and deserve to be preserved and nurtured,” Nolan said.
“Our terroir work at Greenock has shown us just how much geological complexity can exist within a relatively small area, and Trial Hill gives us the opportunity to continue that exploration in a completely different landscape.”
Barossa vigneron Joel Mattschoss said his decision to sell the vineyard was “not one I took lightly”.
“Having followed Alkina’s work at Greenock, I felt there was a natural fit, and I’m very pleased to be handing over custodianship to a team that will respect what is already there while taking the vineyard’s potential to another level,” he said.
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