Kruger Vineyard Shiraz release

The Winery team have been busy over the winter months as we polish and perfect our 2024 aromatic whites, which I’m excited to say are all now bottled and looking fantastic. We’re already seeing some great results from these wines, with our 2024 ‘Home Block’ Verdelho recently winning the trophy for best Verdelho at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, and our 2024 ‘Stone Mountain’ Riesling also just receiving an outstanding 95 point score from The Real Review. A big congratulations to the team and hopefully you’ll enjoy our new wines as much as we do. Additionally, the much anticipated 2023 “Kruger Vineyard” Barossa Shiraz is now in bottle. I’m incredibly proud of this wine; produced from 100 year old vines grown on my family vineyard, this is not only a new endeavor for Pepper Tree, but a truly unique and complex wine.

Spring is now in full swing with the vineyards coming out of hibernation and already showing very promising flowering. We’re already counting down to kicking off the 2025 vintage and we’re seeing a lot of potential for another great season ahead.

2023 Kruger Shiraz:

An exciting new venture for Pepper Tree Wines, our inaugural release of our “Kruger Vineyard” shiraz is our first wine produced from the Barossa Valley. Grown on my family vineyard located in central Barossa, these vines have been carefully tended to by my family for generations. The 2023 vintage was a celebration of these special vines turning 100 years old, with this particular block holding a special place in my father Darrell’s heart. I’m incredibly fortunate and excited to be showcasing this beautiful wine under the Pepper Tree banner. Expressing nuanced notes of black cherry stone, peppery spice and smooth oak textures, this is a true Barossa Shiraz - showing a sense of place and regionality whilst also embracing our distinctive house style we’re so proud of.

2024 Home Block Verdelho:

We’re still celebrating our recent success at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, with our newly released 2024 ‘Home Block’ Verdelho winning the Jay Tulloch Trophy for Best Verdelho. The 2024 growing season was incredibly conducive to producing high-quality aromatic wines, and our ‘Home Block’ Verdelho is highly reflective of the outstanding vintage and the unique terroir on which it is grown. With expressive characters of mandarin, guava and melon, the wine is finely balanced and framed by hints of musk and subtle spice. With a crisp and structured acidity, ‘Home Block’ is beautifully fresh and approachable, and a fantastic drop to enjoy over the spring and summer months.