The Vineyards
Great wines are made in the vineyards.
The care and consideration which Peter Lehmann Wines brings to the selection of grapes enable the winery to produce a wide range of distinctive, award-winning and internationally acclaimed wines.
Our wines are created from grapes purchased from about 165 carefully selected independent growers as well as grapes grown in the four company-owned vineyards. Many of our growers’ families have worked the same vineyards for five and, in some cases, six generations. These Barossa vignerons tend to around 900 individual vineyards that run the gamut of the Barossa, through Lyndoch, Vine Vale, Light Pass, Stonewell, Greenock, Ebenezer and the Eden Valley.
The wide range of soils and micro-climates produce a wealth of grape styles, providing our winemakers with the luxury of being able to select from the known vineyard flavour profile, the grapes which will create the style they are seeking.
It is significant that the majority of the vineyards from which we source our fruit are classified as mature, ranging in ages from 20 to over 100 years old. Many are ungrafted and dry grown.
Our Viticulturalist, Nigel Blieschke, works closely with our growers to maximize quality in their vineyards. Yields are closely monitored and managed and any supplementary water is used sparingly.
It is quite incredible – but true – that Peter Lehmann Wines is able to source its Shiraz fruit from around 220 individual shiraz vineyards throughout the Barossa, enabling our winemakers to craft different expressions of shiraz.
There are 88 growers of Barossa Semillon, with the majority of Semillon vines being 30-40 years of age. There are 10 key growers of prized Eden Valley Riesling and most of these vineyards are between 30 and 40 years old.
Excellence in winemaking is about exploration and adventure. Peter Lehmann Wines is currently working with varieties recently introduced to the Barossa, including Tempranillo and Zinfandel varieties. We look forward to some stunning results.
The four company-owned Peter Lehmann vineyards, which produce just 2% of our requirements, comprise the Stonewell, Riverflat, Andriske and Trillians Hill vineyards.
The Stonewell vineyard, of 18 hectares (45 acres), is situated in the Barossa and produces Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Grenache grapes.
The 1 hectare (2.5 acres) Riverflat vineyard, located near the winery, grows Semillon and features a sprinkler system installed to promote the botrytis infection required for the production of Noble Semillon.
Similarly, the Andriske vineyard located near the winery is planted to 2.5 hectares (6 acres), predominantly with Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Riesling.
The Trillians Hill vineyard in South Australia's Clare Valley is planted to 20 hectares (48 acres). It produced its first Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz crops in 1999.
