Wrattonbully – Click to Enlarge

Wrattonbully – Click to Enlarge

The Wrattonbully wine region lies between Padthaway and Coonawarra in the rich rolling hills of South Australia’s Naracoorte Ranges. 370km from Adelaide and 420km from Melbourne, the region sits on the South Australian and Victorian border.

Wrattonbully is part of the Limestone Coast wine zone, which it shares with Coonawarra, Padthaway, Mount Gambier, Mount Benson and Robe.

Grapes were first planted in Wrattonbully in the late 1960s, but it was not until the 1990s that the excellent soils and elevated sites attracted winemakers to plant the high performing varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Merlot. These 1990s plantings are now reaching their maturity, and the region is now starting to realise its potential.

Wrattonbully has an inland maritime climate that is ideally suited to the growing of premium wine grapes. It is slightly warmer than neighbouring Coonawarra yet cooler than Padthaway. Wrattonbully’s vineyards are established at an elevation of 75-100 metres, where the gentle hilly slopes facilitate cold air flow and lower relative humidity, minimising the risk of frost and disease. Reliable winter rains fill the soil profile giving the vines a great start to each new season. Throughout the growing season, Wrattonbully experiences cool nights and warm days, perfect for slow and even ripening of the fruit.  This results in fruit with great intensity of flavour and with balanced tannins.

Wrattonbully is home to many grape varieties, and in 2019, 75% of the volume was red.

Cabernet Sauvignon leads the way and easily dominates plantings in the region, with approximately 1200 hectares. This varietal ripens easily, producing a pleasantly soft, red-berry fruited wine with complex tannins. Next, Shiraz accounts for 700 hectares and is the second most widely planted variety in Wrattonbully. The region’s long growing season, culminating in a usually dry and sunny April, makes it easy to bring to optimum ripeness. Rounding out the reds, Merlot covers approximately 330 hectares and produces a soft, rich and fruit-driven wine with good power and flavour.

Chardonnay is the fourth most widely planted grape in Wrattonbully, and the largest white variety, with approximately 230 hectares planted. It produces wines of great character and flavour, typically encompassing apricots, grapefruit and bready characters with good acid structure. Lastly, Pinot Gris comes in only marginally behind Chardonnay but accounts for just 9% of the total crush.

Source:  www.wineaustralia.com, www.wrattonbullywineregion.com