Cirillo Wines

In 1970 the Cirillo family acquired one of the oldest vineyards in Australia, situated in the Light Pass district of the Barossa Valley, where the soil is deep silt sand over limestone and clay. This combination of free-draining topsoil and water-holding subsoil has sustained the 3ha of grenache, along with 1ha of semillon (previously incorrectly called madeira) and 0.5ha of shiraz planted in 1848, the latter complemented by 1ha of shiraz and 0.5ha of mourvedre planted in 2005 (cuttings from the 9 original 1948 mataro wines that grow amongst the grenache). The wines are often of exceptional quality and value. -JAMES HALLIDAY