New Release | SPEAKEASY ADELAIDE HILLS

September 13, 2023

Introducing SPEAKEASY from the Adelaide Hills

Ladbroke Grove has always been committed to crafting the best possible wines from our Coonawarra vineyards utilising a mix of traditional methods coupled with modern technological advances in both viticulture and oenology.

In recent years, we have diversified a bit, while staying true to our roots by working on select parcels of fruit from other South Australian premium regions.

The reasoning behind the shift to create labels from other areas was twofold.

Firstly, it gave our viticultural and winemaking teams a new challenge to what they were used to and fostered the age old Australian concept of “Having a crack”. Exposure to wines that are stylistically different invokes more thought and winery processes that deviate from our normal procedures.

Secondly, it enables us to show the versatility of our small company and mixes it with the bigger players that do multi regional wines all the time. It shows that even though we are small and based in Coonawarra, we can create great wines from anywhere with a bit of hard work and effort.

Our first offering is a series of wines from the Adelaide Hills under our Speakeasy label.

We have a 2017 Pinot Noir and a 2017 Shiraz as our maiden red wines. These are followed by a quintet of whites from 2018 from the following varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Gruner Veltliner, along with a 2019 Riesling and 2020 Riesling.

The 2017 Speakeasy Pinot Noir was crafted from fruit sourced near the town of Verdun. The must was cold soaked for several days before being vinified in an open fermenter with a percentage of whole bunches retained. Upon pressing the wine spent 16 months in 100% French oak of which 20% was new and the rest second and third fill. Formats used were barrique (228 litres), Hogshead (300 litre) and Puncheon (500 litre) from top quality cooperages in Burgundy.

The wine is ethereal and fragrant with all the subtleness and nuance expected from Pinot Noir. It shows notes of juicy red fruits, plum, hints of spice, forest impressions and truffle oil. The gentle tannin and supportive bright acid structure culminate in a velvety mouthfeel that is sure to please.

The 2017 Speakeasy Shiraz was made from fruit sourced near where the Pinot Noir came from. The must was vinified in open fermenters utilising several different yeast strains to promote complexity in the wine with a small portion pressed off early into oak to catch barrel ferment characteristics. The remainder spent 10 days on skins post ferment before being pressed and transferred to barrel. The wine spent 18 months in 100% French oak of which 30% was new and the remainder second fill. Formats used were barrique (228 litres), Hogshead (300 litre) and Puncheon (500 litre) from top quality cooperages in Burgundy.

The wine shows bright fresh red fruits, satsuma plum and notes of spice and pepper. The smooth, savoury palate is generous and shows fine tannin and subtle oak all of which is bound together by a harmonious acid backbone. A stylish elegant wine that shows poise and is an exceptional example of cool climate Shiraz.

As we release the rest of the Speakeasy range, we will let you know and pass on information on the wines and how they were created. We hope that you enjoy them as much as we do.