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Established by Bob & Cherie Berton in May 1996 with 75 acres. The heart of Berton Vineyards is their own personal plot in a sub-region of Eden Valley in South Australia. This idyllic property sits at 450m above sea level on gently rolling hills – except for the Chardonnay block which is anything but gentle.

The first vines were planted in that spring – ten acres of Shiraz and seven acres of Chardonnay – but without any permanent water. It was not until 1998, after the new dam was filled, that the vines finally had a decent drink.

With all this, the vines struggled through their impressionable years. Lots of love and attention, but the lack of water really retarded their growth, so much so that a Swedish friend jokingly told them that they had planted a bonsai vineyard….the name stuck and later became the name of their premium Shiraz. With the good rainfall in High Eden, the vines are in great condition these days, but they still remember the early days every time they open a bottle of the Bonsai.

After the dam was full they were able to follow on and plant Cabernet Sauvignon and lastly some Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are now growing happily amongst big white rocks on ancient podsolic soils – which really makes driving trellis posts interesting, but that’s another story.

Grapes:            Sangiovese (84%), Barbera (16%)

Region:            Swan Hill 47.93%, King Valley 37.16% and Riverina 14.60%

Vintage:           Viticulturists and winemakers are declaring this to be the region’s best in over a decade. While quantity is down overall there has been a significant – and directly proportional – lift in quality. This reduced harvest is attributed to decreased availability of water, cool-to-moderate spring weather resulting in a slow start to shoot development, and low sub-soil moisture level during those months. The fruit presented was extremely clean and disease-free. Winemakers are especially impressed with the brilliant colour of the reds which are said to be outstanding in terms of colour, ripe fruit expression and tannin development although fruit from some vines was only half that produced in previous years.

Winemaking:   Skin contact lasted 8 hours and then cold fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was then left to rest in tank until bottled.

Tasting Notes:  The blend of Sangiovese and Barbera is vibrant ruby colour with aromas of crushed strawberries and cranberries.  The crisp flavours of watermelon and strawberries are perfectly balanced by crisp crunchy plum and lively acidity on the finish. 

Alc:                 12.53%,

RS:                  10.3%.

Serve:             Chilled any time or an ideal accompaniment to spicy Asian dishes.