Fourth-generation Bordeaux winemaker Georges Thienpont has appointed Jacinta Jenkins as the winemaker for his new estate and winery in Carey Gully in the Adelaide Hills.
Jacinta will oversee all winemaking operations and act as steward of the estate.
Before joining the team, Jacinta served as senior winemaker at Balnaves of Coonawarra and was a shortlisted finalist for the Halliday Wine Companion 2025 Winemaker of the Year.
Georges Thienpont shares Jacinta’s passion for detail and precision.
When he learned of her background in biochemistry, he envisioned the innovations she could bring by combining her scientific expertise with creative flair to express the unique terroirs of Piccadilly and Clarendon, which will provide the fruit for the estate’s wines.
Georges Thienpont has been deeply involved in his family’s wine business since his youth.
In the coming year, he will also take on a role alongside the managing director of Domaines Jacques Thienpont.
A law graduate of the University of Leuven, Georges moved to Adelaide to study Wine Business and is now completing a postgraduate degree in Viticulture and Oenology.
He feels a profound connection to his family’s history, noting that his great-grandfather, Georges Thienpont (Snr.), purchased Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol in 1924 – exactly 100 years before Georges acquired the estate and vineyard in Carey Gully.
The Chardonnay for the estate’s wines will come from the Carey Gully vineyard, planted in 1998 by Brian Croser for Petaluma.
An additional hectare of Chardonnay was planted in November 2024 under the supervision of viticultural consultant Dylan Grigg.
These vineyards, situated at 500 metres above sea level, overlook Mount Lofty and sit on a rare outcrop of ancient schists and gneisses amidst the sandstone soils of the Adelaide Hills.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc will be sourced from two historic sites: the Clarendon Vineyard Estate, managed by Emmanuelle and Toby Bekkers, and the Hickinbotham Estate, managed by viticulturist Michael Lane.
The Clarendon vineyards, at 250 metres above sea level, feature old and diverse soils composed of siltstones, slates and fine sandstones.
Georges Thienpont was drawn to these sites after observing the exceptional quality of wines produced in these cooler regions and the unique landscapes they offer.
He views these as small, protected pockets of nature where the vines can create meaningful expressions of both site and variety.
The inaugural vintage is scheduled for release in 2026.