Exploring our Range - Hayes family Wines for Wine Drinkers
When we set out with a vision, our goal was always to find the best vineyards the Barossa has to offer, with the best growers, and handle the grapes sympathetically to craft wines that people love to drink young, middled aged or old. Wines that scream Barossa, not the Yarra Valley, or some region in France or Spain. Wines that any of our friends could take to dinner and be confident that people would love it, and that they could be proud to have bought it along. A simple vision you might say.
But it got complicated early on. We had some great friends in the industry based on decades of visiting the Barossa. The Hoffmann’s, Schulz’s, Fromm’s. Becker’s all great friends before Hayes Family Wines and importantly friends today. Add to this ou Estate Block, that was the result of a 4 year search with the help of Marcus Schulz. End result, we had some great old vineyards, truly some of the Barossa’s Oldest and very best. But what to do with all these great blocks? Bottle them of course, do not blend, show the sites in their naked form, single vineyard, single block wines. But there are so very many, so after more than 10 years, I thought best to try to explain what we make, and how they are classified.
REGIONAL
Our Regional Wines are blended wines from one or more of our Estate or Grower Vineyards. These wines provide an entry point for the Hayes Family Wines portfolio. These wines provide great value. They carry the typicity of the region, classic styles: Barossa Valley Rose, Grenache, GSM, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon. These the go to for the Barossa classics. They are what the Barossa does and always has done well.
ESTATE
Our Estate Range of wines come from our Certified Organic Vineyard in Stone Well. Each wine, whether single block or a blend of our blocks comes from vines planted in principally in 1948. Field Blend Blanc, Grenache Block 2, Mataro, Field Blend Rouge, Shiraz, Shiraz Block 1, Shiraz Block 9. These were always the wines that are the passion behind Hayes Family Wines. We tend these vines ourselves, and live with the ups and downs.
SINGLE VINEYARD
Our Single Vineyard Range covers small lot, typically one or two barrels of our special blocks across the Barossa Valley. Semillon (Schulz Home Block), Chardonnay (Primrose) Grenache (Koonunga, Glengrae, Prayer Garden, Mader), Shiraz (Primrose, Hoffmann). Cabernet Sauvignon (Primrose). What is released will vary from year to year with vintage and vineyard conditions. Staples should be there most years, great vineyards tend to perform year in, year out. But variation is what you get from single vineyard small run bottlings. So take the time to discover your favourites and seek to explore across the years.
LIMITED RELEASE
The Limited Release Wines were always intended to the be the best of the best from our vineyard sources in any given vintage. Not released every year but when they are, they are really really good. Reserve Shiraz, Koonunga Ancestor Vine Shiraz, Reserve Grenache, Bon Ami
FAMILY SELECTION
With the 2021 Vintage, many considering the best in a decade or two, with good yields to boot provided the opportunity for Andrew and I in the winery to take some select parcels and take these parcels to another level, and the family selection was born. Initially with the Three Kings, a best of the best classic Barossa Blend, followed by Hillside, Block 15, 1919, and Marananga which have become regulars, or at least semi-regulars.
There is of course so much to discover, but we are always here to help you simplify your journey, with mixed packs to sample the diversity of what we offer at Hayes Family Wines.