The Limestone Coast hero brand Stonehaven is back on the shelves again after a brief hiatus.
Stonehaven is now owned by family company CW Wines who say they are excited to relaunch the brand with a mission to champion one of South Australia’s lesser known and understood regions.
The iconic Stonehaven Winery in Padthaway was built by Hardy’s in 1998 with the intention of showcasing the Limestone Coast as producers of world-class South Australian wines.
The brand quickly became one of Australia’s most recognisable wine labels with production reaching 240,000 cases.
After Hardy’s sale to Constellation, the winery was sold and the label lay dormant.
In early 2021 CW Wines acquired the Stonehaven winery and brand and have since relaunched Stonehaven wines back into the market with a freshe new look.
Stonehaven is supported by 800 acres of estate-owned vineyards producing premium grapes including Cabernet, Shiraz, Malbec, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay as well as some more recent plantings of emerging varietals such as Nero D’Avola, Montepulciano and Mencía.
The Limestone Coast Wine Region is made up of six sub-regions: Coonawarra, Padthaway, Mount Benson, Robe, Wrattonbully and Mount Gambier.
The area benefits from abundant water and cool evening temperatures even when daytime temperatures soar making it perfect grapegrowing country.
Stonehaven winemaker Ben Wurst has spent the past 20 years in the region where he has concentrated on crafting premium cool climate wines.
The opportunity to shine a light on the area through the Stonehaven label has given him a renewed passion for creating wines that reflect this little-understood pocket of the Australian wine landscape.
“People often think of the Limestone Coast as producing full-bodied Cabernets and little else,” Ben says.
“In actuality the diversity of the region means we can grow a huge variety of grapes that really respond to the nuances of each area without being pigeon-holed into any one particular style of wine.
“In the winery that means we’re getting really premium fruit that truly reflects the terroir.
“It’s my job then to maintain those characters in the wines we produce.
“When we get that right we can really start to show people what the region is capable of.”
The new Stepping Stone range of Stonehaven wines ($20 each) includes a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Gris, a Chardonnay, a Shiraz, a Merlot, a Malbec, a Pinot Noir, a Riesling and a Sparkling, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Rose.
The Limited Vineyard Release range ($30 each) includes a Padthaway Chardonnay, a Padthaway Shiraz, a Robe Shiraz, a Wrattonbully Shiraz, a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and a Padthaway Cabernet Sauvignon.
There is also a Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon ($60).
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