The Kalleske farm and vineyards were established in 1853 at Moppa, a small sub-district of Greenock in the North-Western Barossa Valley. The oldest vines on the property today are more than a century old, dating back to 1875. The 120 acre vineyard is a diverse mix of varieties with Shiraz and Grenache predominating followed by smaller plantings of Mataro, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Durif, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Semillon. The Moppa/Greenock sub-region of the Barossa is regarded as one of the finest districts for high quality wine, especially Shiraz and Grenache.
All Kalleske vineyards are farmed certified organically and biodynamically. Genuine sustainability and authentic wines are at the core of Kalleske farming and winemaking.
At an elevation of 300-350m, the Kalleske farm is one of the higher localities in the Barossa Valley, being 40-90m higher than the Valley floor at approximately 260m. As well as higher elevation, the vineyard is characterized with varying topography of softly rolling hills and gullies creating gentle cooling breezes. The higher elevation and cooling breezes result in a slightly cooler growing season for the Kalleske vineyard, ensuring gradual ripening and full flavour, tannin and structure development.
The Kalleske farm is 500 acres and the 120 acres of vines are planted in over 30 individual blocks across the property. This spread of plantings covers a diversity of topographies, soils and aspects ensuring interesting, characteristic, individuality from each block.
The soils vary across the vineyard blocks but importantly red clay underlies all vineyards ensuring Winter rainfall is captured in the subsoil for use by the vines over the Summer growing season. Annual rainfall is typically 500mm, with the majority of this falling during Winter and early Spring.
At the Kalleske vineyard, budburst usually occurs in late September, followed by flowering and set in November. Harvest usually begins in the final week of February and typically concludes in mid-late April.