Winemaker Notes
Originally planted in 1990, the Branson Coach House grape vines thrive in the trademark, red clay soil of the Western Barossa. The results are offerings like those of any great estate — power, intensity and the ability to age gracefully. The release of its first vintage, from 2002, led to quick admiration from influential wine enthusiasts.
The emphasis on single-vineyard, estate-grown wines drives Branson Coach House's philosophy: to keep yields low, and to practice "minimal intervention." This means that from the vineyard until bottling, the fruit is carefully monitored, but that the unique terroir of the region will be at the forefront of the wine.
Branson Coach House offers three single vineyard wines: Coach House Block Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and a second label Greenock Block Shiraz. Each one has been highly acclaimed by the critics with 90+ scores and complimentary tasting notes.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.