Old Plains Wine Co was founded in 2002 by Dom Torzi and Tim Freeland, driven by a shared vision to preserve some of the last old-vine vineyards of the Adelaide Plains in South Australia. Many of these vines were planted in the post-WWII era by Italian migrants and returned servicemen, becoming an enduring legacy of the region’s rich wine heritage.
While much of this precious old vine material was lost during the mid 1980s to make way for market gardens, almond orchards and housing developments, pockets remained - often just an acre or two or a few cherished rows kept by families to make their own wine. Today, Old Plains sources fruit from these surviving plots, crafting wines that celebrate the unique character and generosity that only old vines can deliver.
Since their first vintage, Torzi and Freeland have focused on hand-made, small-batch Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet, all brimming with deep, dark fruit flavours and true varietal expression. Traditional vinification is at the heart of their approach: sustainable vineyards, hand picking, whole berry fermentations, gentle basket pressing and gravity-fed ferments, all handled with minimal intervention.
Crafted in small batches, this wine undergoes a traditional open-top ferment with gentle pump-overs and minimal plunging to preserve fruit purity and finesse. The young wine is basket pressed, with fermentation finishing off gracefully in barrel. It then rests for 18 months in a thoughtful mix of French and American oak, with a measured 25% new wood component adding layers of complexity. Bottled unfiltered to capture every nuance.
The nose is wonderfully perfumed and deeply complex, offering a swirl of blackberry, ripe plum and dark fruits, lifted by subtle spice, a hint of mint and whispers of dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine really sings - plush and generous, bursting with rich blackberries, succulent plums and a touch of liqueur-like intensity that calls to mind the legendary Australian show wines crafted by the late Max Schubert in the 1960s.
Sourced from vineyards rooted in ancient alluvial soils along the banks of the Gawler River, this is an elegant, supple and fleshy expression of a true classic Australian blend - deliciously outrageous in all the right ways.
