Alkina
Alkina was first planted by Les Kalleske in 1955 in the subregion of Greenock. When Argentinian vigneron Alejandro Bulgheroni bought the property in 2015, he set about increasing the holdings from 10 hectares to over 40. With general manager Amelia Nolan, he also set out to meticulously map the site’s geology with the help of famed Chilean terroir specialist Dr Pedro Parra. Over 160 pits were dug, and the findings supported electromagnetic conductivity scanning to map the entire property below ground. The vineyard was also converted to biodynamic farming, receiving certification (NASAA) in 2018. The focus is on heritage varieties and making wine in a gentle way that favours either neutral oak or alternative vessels for fermentation and maturation. Bothe varietal wines and blends are made, with the loftier bottlings focusing on micro-parcels called ‘Polygons’ that were isolated as particularly special through the soil research project and subsequent winemaking trials.
A: 41 Victor Road Greenock, SA 5360
Ph:(08) 8562 8246
W: alkinawine.com
Spinifex
Pete Schell and Magali Gely’s Spinifex has become an emblem of the new Barossa, developing a more refined take on the region while never trying to hide from the natural intensity that it provides. Sourcing fruit from a slew of growers across the Barossa and Eden Valleys, the pair also own a vineyard in the Eden’s Flaxman Valley, with vines dating back to 1956. From multi-site varietal blends to multi varietal blends, Schell is a master at blending small parcels to create deceptively complex wholes. The range includes Mediterranean-styled white and red blends, rosé and tiers of shiraz and grenache, along with aglianico, vermentino, clairette, tannat, tempranillo and riesling. Wines can be tasted at Vino Lokal or Artisans of the Barossa in Tanunda.
A: PO Box 511 Nuriootpa SA 5355
Ph: 0408 695 654
W: spinifexwines.com.au
Sami-Odi
Fraser McKinley works exclusively with shiraz from the Hoffmann family’s revered Dallwitz Vineyard, which he farms organically. His wines are made using only whole bunches, with no adds bar a touch of sulphur. McKinley has a degree in fine art and design, and that artist’s touch shows in his wines, from the bespoke labels for each release to the intricate way they are constructed. Blending across parcels and also vintages, McKinley fashions a complex range of expressions out of the one small plot, telling the tale of a vintage or representing a melange of barrels that he believes interlock to make something interesting, with no set rules about what that might be.
W: sami-odi.com
Ruggabellus
Abel Gibson’s Ruggabellus began in the 2009 vintage, with an express desire to make wines that were mediumweight, fragrant and fresh – somewhat casting the gauntlet down to the enduring styles of the day. Purchasing a vineyard in Flaxman’s Valley in 2013, that mantra has remained the same, with fruit also coming from leased sites and trusted growers. Gibson makes elegant reds from syrah, grenache and mataro, while the whites employ varying levels of skin contact, with varietal semillon and riesling, and a blend of the two with muscat to make a white called ‘Salio’, which he calls his introduction to their white wine style.
Frederick Stevenson
Steve Crawford is Frederick Stevenson. It’s a little confusing perhaps, but the latter is an alias adopted by the former to disguise his identity while he held down day jobs for established wineries. Today, the ruse is up, but the necessity for day jobs has long since receded. Today, Crawford works out of a winery and events space in Bowden in the heart of Adelaide called Oddio, which he shares with Delinquente Wine Co’s Con-Greg Grigoriou. Crawford’s wines, with fruit sourced from across several South Australian regions, though with a Barossa core, are not easy to categorise, but the general theme is one of low intervention and styles that creatively reshape rather than totally shatter the mould. Sulphur is the only additive, and sometimes it is left in the tool bag. Reds tend to the midweight with the table in mind, while skin contact is a common feature of whites. Crawford also digs deep into Italian varieties, which he carries across to his Giovanni Armani Giorgio label. Those wines, solely from Italian varieties, are all about imminent drinking and approachable pricing, wines for the trattoria or parco.
A:31 Drayton Street, Bowden, Adelaide SA 5007
Ph: 0417 087 023
W: frederickstevenson.com.au
Smallfry
Wayne Ahrens and Suzie Hilder are viticulturists by trade, plying their wares over the decades for others, but the chance to purchase an historic property with ancient vines on it saw a shift in their thinking. That vineyard was prior managed with a stubbornness that saw old plantings of essentially non-commercial varieties maintained, a practice the pair were intent on preserving. In fact, the purchase agreement was only inked with the handshake agreement that they wouldn’t lay anything but a caring hand on those venerable vines. An immediate switch to biodynamic viticulture saw the vineyard, in the Vine Vale sands, certified in 2014, and there is a relentlessly deep focus on regenerative agriculture and sustainability at all levels. Today, Smallfry produce a raft of wines from varietal bottlings to blends, with a bent towards natural wines and lo-fi winemaking. The range extends from orange wine made with old fortified varieties through small-batch, elegant cinsault and trousseau to modern takes on grenache, riesling, shiraz and mataro.
A: 13 Murray Street
Angaston, Barossa SA 5353
Ph: 0412 153 243
W: smallfrywines.com.au
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