cellar door
opening times
Tuesday - Sunday
11am - 5pmOpen Monday Public Holidays
Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day
Malcolm studied Oenology and Viticulture at Roseworthy College, South Australia, between 1959–1964.During an overseas study tour, Malcolm and Joylene spent 8 months studying and visiting vineyards and wineries in California, New York State, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and The Republic of South Africa.
Malcolm worked for B. Seppelt & Sons for 14 years before accomplishing his dream to operate his own winery. Malcolm & Joylene designed, planned and built winery and cellar facilities overlooking St Michael’s Church in Marananga. Gnadenfrei Estate’s first vineyard was planted in 1958. The hill-top premises were built in 1978, as the Seppelt family home and cellar door, and opened for wine tasting the following year.
All estate vines, mainly Shiraz and Grenache, are totally dry-grown.
Vines produce a maximum yield of only 2 tonnes per acre to maximise flavour and quality. Malcolm’s philosophy is to produce premium quality red wine from premium quality dry-grown fruit.
The vineyard comprises: 5 acres Shiraz, 1 acre Grenache and 1 acre of mixed reds: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Malbec and Merlot. The vineyard is planted on the contour and vines are cane and spur hand-pruned, non-irrigated and are herbicide-free. Malcolm uses minimal inputs for disease, pest and weed control.
At harvest, grape maturity is determined by seed colour, skin colour and favour grapes are hand-picked.
>> James Halliday Tasting Notes
>> newsletter spring / autumn 2006
