Adrian Hoffmann is a sixth-generation winegrower, with his family making at least part of their living from viticulture in the Barossa since their arrival from Prussia in 1857. While the hard times of the 1980s saw the Hoffmanns almost give up on viticulture and pivot to their side-hustles of mixed farming and engineering – at one point even putting the storied Dallwitz Block and its irreplaceable treasure-trove of old vines up for sale – diligent work by Adrian’s father, Jeff, and Adrian himself (since taking over the reins in 2002) has seen Hoffmann Family Vineyards become leading Barossa growers. Having shaken off contracts to larger companies, today the family supplies fruit to an impressive roster of twenty-seven small-scale, quality oriented makers, as well as growing fruit for their own label, Hoffmann Family Vineyards.
Adrian’s winegrowing philosophy is simple: “Grow the best fruit possible – and don’t stuff it up!” he says. “We’re able to supply a diverse style of grapes from a small area, through thoughtful management, for winemakers to create wines of excellence. ‘Thoughtful management’ can be described in a few sentences – but it takes years of honing the skill and craft.” He chalks up the family’s ability to provide fruit for a diversity of styles to the underlying diversity of the soil types below the Hundred of Belvedere vineyard, and across the northern Barossa in general: “The complexity of the soils and sites within a very small area lends itself to the vast array of wines that can be made from the Hoffmann Vineyards,” Adrian says. In the Hundred of Belvedere, those soil types include everything from classic terra rossa soil over red prismatic clay in the Dallwitz Block, washed creek gravel and quartz in the Limit Lodge Block, sticky black clay in the Dimchurch Block, and the infamously difficult-to-work Bay of Biscay clay in the Home Block.
Understanding those soil types then leads Adrian to narrow down site selection in collaboration with the maker to achieve their preferred style. “This soil diversity is then further explored through the influence of the winemakers accessing this fruit,” he says. “Our ability to work with the winemaker to identify which site and parcels of fruit will benefit from their winemaking style is a big part of our point of difference as winegrape growers. This can only be achieved through a deep understanding between the grower and winemaker.” He adds: “I have winemakers that want to pick early, to capture freshness, and ones that want to pick later for a more generous style. We pick shiraz for close to eight weeks during vintage, starting at twelve degrees Baumé right through to grapes at sixteen degrees Baumé. This type of management allows for many different styles of wine to be created.
Although the Hundred of Belvedere contains a smattering of ‘alternate’ varieties throughout its parcels – including white frontignac, carignan, malbec, cinsault, durif, lagrein, zinfandel and trebbiano – the main focus here is on what Adrian calls the region’s ‘classic’ red varieties of shiraz, grenache, and mataro, with a smattering of cabernet sauvignon for good measure. “Don’t mess with the classics!” Adrian says. “These varieties have grown on the same sites for over one hundred years, producing quality fruit. The quality of North Barossa fruit has been recognised since well before the 1960s and ’70s, with it coming into its own in the ’90s. If you look in most vineyards of the North Barossa you will find these red varieties – and their depth, generosity, and silky tannins will rival any of the great vineyards of the world.” In the case of the Hundred of Belvedere, some of that depth of flavour can be attributed to the age of the vine material, with shiraz plantings in the Dallwitz Block possibly stretching back to the 1880s, and grenache and mataro vines from the first decade of the twentieth century still standing in the Church Block.
While the varietal mix at the Hundred of Belvedere remains resolutely traditional, viticultural practices here have absolutely moved with the times, with a focus on reducing systemic inputs and irrigation while building soil and microbial health. “We are not certified organic, but we use best-practice principles in the vineyard, whether that be some biodynamic or organic principles,” Adrian says. “We are very much hands-on, trying to keep the tractor passes through the vineyard at a minimum to reduce soil compaction. We assess the vineyard at each stage to understand what needs to be completed, as opposed to what can be done.” Adrian calls his approach, particularly for the Mickan Block, a minimal-intervention one, although he quickly clarifies his intent: “This does not mean we do nothing – it means we do what is necessary for that given year,” he says. “We have mulched and composted this block in the last few years. We have installed two new frost fans to avoid quality being diminished. The cover crop is crimp-rolled once per year to prevent tillage, but keep the organic material in the soil. The arched cane pruning system allows us to do remedial work on the vine more often and with less work and smaller costs – but it also diminishes the strangulation that can occur with traditional trellising.” Likewise, viticultural practices in the Dallwitz Block have been fine-tuned for the needs of its centurion vines, with gentle reworking to encourage new wood growth and a program to manage vine disease caused by Eutypa lata.
Adrian’s also open to acknowledging past missteps in the management of these vineyards. Of the Dallwitz Block, he says, “We used to have a scorched earth policy on account of frost – but by leaving permanent swards, rye grasses, medics and clovers in the block, we’re making sure we have biodiversity within the vineyard. Over time, we have improved trellis management, introduced frost mitigation, and improved general soil health.” He adds: “Frost mitigation is helping us with economic sustainability – in the past we have lost up to 70% of our crop in the Dallwitz Block due to frost, but this doesn’t happen to that extent anymore.” That concept of economic sustainability extends to bigger-picture issue for the region: “We are using hand-picking as much as possible to create employment, all the while creating brand ambassadors from the backpackers we employ,” Adrian explains. In keeping with the sustainable trend, systemic sprays are applied sparingly, using FMR recycling sprayers to “capture overspray and save water and chemical”. Likewise, the creek beside the Mickan Block has begun to be planted with beneficial native species in order to create an insectarium. “I take opportunities whenever I can to give back to nature – planting shelter belts with a mixture of native plants for biodiversity, looking after the natural wildlife by maintaining habitat, and reclaiming unproductive areas for the future of the property,” Adrian says. “I am confident that I am handing the property to the next generation in better condition than when I first started.”
As you might expect of a sixth-generation grower who cares for centurion vines, Adrian has his eyes on posterity and building a legacy, even in the face of climate change. “Dealing with the extremes of temperature is the real battle – whether it be cold or hot,” he says. “We are not about to remove one-hundred-year-old vines and move further south. With careful management and attention to the seasons and weather, I believe we are growing more consistent fruit than ever before – but is this necessarily a good thing? Sometimes it’s that vintage variation that creates that real outstanding wine.” The real satisfaction he derives from viticulture? “Just to be working the same land, walking the same soil, pruning and picking the same vines as previous generations of Hoffmanns – I find it extremely special,” he says. “And that’s not even the best bit. To think that my children’s children will have the opportunity to do the same … that gives me great comfort that I have done right by my little patch of Earth.”
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