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The Willows Vineyard
First planted in 1936 The Willows Vineyard is located on the banks of the North Para River near the village of Light Pass. This northern Barossa location is distinguished by its cooling gully breezes during vintage, providing slow ripening and a clearer expression of berry and spice flavours in red wines and lifted varietal fruit characters in whites. The 100 acre Willows Vineyard ranges from deep alluvial soils, ideal for root development and the vigour of Cabernet and Semillon, to red brown loam over clay and tough sandy soils where old Shiraz vines struggle to produce premium quality. The vines range in age - from the Semillon which is 70 years old to the Shiraz, Cabernet and Riesling which were planted in the 1960s and 1970s. The vines are hand pruned in July and August, establishing a foundation for the controlled yields and quality expected in the following year. Supplementary watering is used to maintain vine health and ensure ripeness and maturity. "Some of our older vines on heavier soils can survive without a drink all season," Peter said. "But there is little point in dry growing vines if it affects vine health and the composition of the fruit. "We restrict watering but we don't like stressing the vine too much, as it can be counter-productive to quality."
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