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Our home in the Adelaide Hills is where nature, creativity and passion come together to create some of the finest wines in the world.
The combination of high altitude, cool temperatures, and fertile soils creates a variety of microclimates within the region – perfect for cultivating a diverse array of grapes. Our hallmark cool-climate varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – especially thrive in the long, slow-growing season, giving the fruit time to develop more complex flavours and aromas. Nepenthe has three vineyards, each one with unique terroir and growing conditions.
Home to Nepenthe’s cellar door, Balhannah is where you can sip on our award-winning wines while enjoying the glorious view of our vineyards and lush rolling hills. Of our three properties, Balhannah is the smallest (20 hectares). The south and east-facing aspect of the vineyards tends to avoid the warm afternoon sun, while the rich, fertile soil produces large canopies which protect the fruit from direct sun exposure. This cool microclimate within the vines makes it perfect for delicate grape varieties like Pinot Noir.
Also grown here are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and the Chardonnay used to make our Prestige Cuvée.
Our property in Charleston is our largest (40 hectares). It’s where the majority of Sauvignon Blanc comes from – the wine that put Nepenthe on the map. Charleston is located a little bit further east within the Adelaide Hills. The area is dryer, but the temperature is quite cool because of the high altitude. It’s where we grow Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Prosecco, Grüner Veltliner and Albariño.
The looser soil in Charleston also makes it ideal for growing red wine. Interestingly, we planted some Shiraz from cuttings from a vineyard in the Barossa Valley around 10 years ago. It was a gamble that paid off, and these grapes now form the base of our premium Apex Shiraz.
Located just a short 2kms away from the cellar door in Balhannah, Hahndorf is our second largest property (30 hectares), but it’s the highest and coolest of the three. It’s where we grow our lesser-known grape varieties including, Arneis, Grüner Veltliner and Viognier. The vineyards here also grow Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. The fruit grown in Hahndorf is elegant but has intense flavour and depth.