The Auswine Forum

Was wondering if there was any website or source that lists Australia's oldest vines?

I know of the mid 1800's vines of Turkey Flat, Langmeil, and Tahbilk, but would like to know what other 1800s and even early 1900s vineyards are out there.

cheers,

Andrew

I'm sure there are heaps.

Kaesler comes to mind- "Old Bastard"
Also, Hamilton's in Maclaren Vale have some century old vines I think that the make a "century" wine with...

Cheers,

Monghead.

Best's 1866 vines
"the Best's Concongella Vineyard 1860s plantings at Great Western belong to Australia's rich heritage of ancient genetic and pre-phylloxera vineyards. The fifteen rows of dry grown Shiraz vines, well over 140 years old, are the source material for the Thomson Family. It is a rich, generous wine with brilliant blackberry meaty fruit underpinned by cedar oak and gravelly tannins.”. Ref: Langton’s."

Marco Cirillo Grenache is from vines around the 1850's (in Barossa) Regards Dazza

Off the top of my head:-

Kays Amery Vineyards "Block 6" 114 yo.

Penfolds Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet vines planted 1888.

Veritas have a block of 100+yo mataro

1885 vines are often quotes by Lehmann ... either as a component of Stonewell or stand-alone 1885 wine ... Schrapel family?

The Hill of Grace vines are from the 1860's.

Baileys of Glenrowan 1904 Block and 1920's Block.

Can't remember which one it is, but there are some seriously old monsters right next to Cellar Door if you want to get up close and personal.

Tyrrell's, Draytons and Wyndham at the hunter should have some very old vines I think, unfortunately I don't know the ages.

If you are interested in the what and where of old vines in Australia, you may wish to look at the Yalumba Old Vines Charter:
http://www.yalumba.com.au/content.asp?p=351

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a bit of mapping out the vineyard resources, at least Barossan, behind the Charter document.

Hunter Valley
Mount Pleasant - OH&OP + King 1880 and 1921
Rosehill - 1946
Lovedale - 1946
W Drayton Flat 1899
Trevena 1920
Pooles Rock Pokolbin 1893
Tallawanta 1920
Tyrrells 4A - 1879
Tyrrells 8A - 1892
Tyrrells Johnnos 1908
HVD 1909
NVC 1921
Stevens Old Block 1930's
Stevens Old Patch 1867
etc
lots more from 20s,40s etc

thanks for the replies. It would be great if these wines/wineries could get together to promote and market these historic wines to the world as the Centurions Club or something. Similar to the recently launched First Families (and I'd imagine there would be some overlap), it would be a great way to promote wine within australia as well as counter the negative perceptions of Australian wine overseas.

Cheers,

Andrew

Kalleske 1875 - goes into the Johann Georg

Some Kaesler vines date back to 1893.

Schild Estate have some vines dating back to 1847. (Moorooroo estate near Jacobs Creek)

Mike.

A little bird once told me that there are more wines labelled as coming from 100yo vines than the number of 100yo vines in Australia could produce. It was further suggested that one day this labelling conundrum may have to be settled by a lawyer and a horticulturist with a chainsaw.

Muscat Mike wrote:Some Kaesler vines date back to 1893.

Schild Estate have some vines dating back to 1847. (Moorooroo estate near Jacobs Creek)

Mike.

MMMMMMMMMMMM The schild estate Moorooroo is an excellent red

Regards Dazza

Some of the vines that Torbreck use are pretty old. Run Rig is mostly from vines that are 120 to 160 years old.

Davo wrote:A little bird once told me that there are more wines labelled as coming from 100yo vines than the number of 100yo vines in Australia could produce. It was further suggested that one day this labelling conundrum may have to be settled by a lawyer and a horticulturist with a chainsaw.

I'm with Davo on this. I know of a winery whose Shiraz grapes matured from 45 years old to 70 year old in about 8 years And I also know it is not an isolated example.

Actually, what sort of techniques exist for accurately / scientifically knowing the age of a vine?

Plenty of old stocks around....we get shiraz and mataro from vineyards planted in the 1870's

Does the Yarra still have any 1800s vines? I know they made wines there in the mid 1800s, but have never heard of any old vine wine coming from the Yarra.

Andrew

I thought the Yarra was pretty well wiped out by phylloxera in the lateish 19th century(?). According to Halliday, Fergusson (est 1968) was one of the first wineries to take part in the resurgence of the valleys wine industry. Mount Mary est 1971, Seville Estate 1970, [b]Wantirna 1963[/b], St Huberts 1966, Yarra Yering 1969 are some of the oldest wineries in the Yarra.

Halliday does credit Yeringberg as est 1863 but I don't know whether, "Makes wines for the new millennium from the low-yielding vines re-established in the heart of what was one of the most famous (and infinitely larger) vineyards of the 19th century." means that some of the vines date from 1863 or so and by some stroke of luck survived the infestation similar to Tahbilk's 1860s vines This link says vines were replanted 1961 although others say 1969:

http://www.oldbridgecellars.com/Yeringberg/home.asp

This link gives a more definitive but brief history:

http://genxywines.com/regions/vic_regio ... gberg.html

daz

G'day Daz

Coincidently, I'm currently looking at Yeringberg's order form, which has a half-page history included. This states Yeringberg was the last vineyard to be pulled out in the Yarra Valley (in 1921). It does not give a precise year for re-planting, just that Guillame (who replanted) was born many years after the original vines were pulled out, so 1963 or thereabouts is entirely feasible.

Cheers

Allan

I know Bests (Grampians) is another you can add to this list. They have 100 year old vines....and you can tell by the trunk on them...huge.

As for the Yarra Valley, I think phylloxera did wipe them out at some stage and is threatening to do it again. I've heard off the "grapevine" the problem still exists in the YV, they're just not telling anyone.....nuff said.