Australia New Zealand Wines Online Bottleshop

Rewind the tape twenty years and Rawley Power's voice was being pounded into the ear drums of punk music fans throughout the land. Rawley's strained voice as front man for punk band Anti-Power was also known to true blue fans as the Raw Power Show, as Rawley's voice took hold over the garage crowds whipping them into the original mosh. Twenty plus years on, a different life in full swing as advocate of red flowing liquid. A different life with the same my way approach. Punk singer, punk winemaker, Rawley Power, the creator of this fine drop.

15.99

Longhop Shiraz 2015

Currently out of stock

Shiraz / Adelaide Plains / SouthAustralia

Adelaide Plains Shiraz, and what great wine it makes, graceful, generous and stylishly balanced. The vineyards speak in the final wine, every expression from the intensely flavoured grapes, picked off vines, fifty years of age, is captured and retained. Earthern ironstone and quartz laced textures of the foothills and north ranges, smooth ferments and fine colour, lively peppery notes are indicative of old vines fruit. The inaugural vintage of Longhop Shiraz was a sellout and runaway success after being the subject of ecstatic praise from industry press.

20.99

Longhop Old Vines Grenache

Available by the dozen

Grenache / Adelaide Plains / SouthAustralia

From the bespoke Manno Vineyard at Hillier in Mt Lofty Ranges, off vines over fifty years of age, planted to grey alluvial loams over limestone substrate. Treated to a traditional old world vinification of open top, whole bunch ferments and hand plunges, a good old fashioned basket press and twenty two months in a selection of seasoned French and American oaks. Its elegant, silky palate in support of clove and dark chocolate fruit flavours, it continues to build, dark and full of old vine power, its fine tannins drawing out the long satisifying finish.

20.99

Longhop Cabernet Sauvignon

Available by the dozen

CabernetSauv / Adelaide Plains / SouthAustralia

Two Gawler high school mates mooted the idea of making Adelaide wine. Vineyards were surveyed, the major requirement being that old vines were essential. They fortuitously secured for themselves supply from some precious old sites which had survived the pullout schemes of the 1980s. Grapes are picked off old to very old vines, grown in auspicious sandy loams, nestled amongst the river red gums of Mt Lofty. Components are cannily assembled to achieve a unique construct of the established Cabernet Sauvignon style.

The challenge began when it was decided to fashion hand made wines from precious fruit grown to superlative sites which escaped the vine pull of the 1980s

The Longhop and Old Plains range of wines are produced by Domenic Torzi and Tim Freeland. The former Gawler high school mates first mooted the idea of making icon wines from the Adelaide Plains in 2002. Vineyards were secured, the requirement being old vines a priority. The small band of growers have embraced the ideal of delivering premium grapes in order to showcase the power and rich fruit flavours the Adelaide Plains has to offer.

Great wine begins in the vineyard and for Old Plains and Longhop nothing is more important. The source vineyards are all unique, remnant plantings that have survived urban expansion and the pursuit of other agricultural profits. They also escaped the vine pull schemes that were popular during the 1980s.

These government sponsored schemes saw old, low yielding vines uprooted with the help of subsidies and replaced by cash crops of vegetables and wheat. In some instances vast tracts of old vine shiraz was replaced by chardonnay! What a waste. The remaing small vineyards are true masterpieces of wine grape flavour, weathered, gnarly and magnificent in their defiance of commercial expansion.

The American importer of Old Plains and Longhop wines, Vine Street Imports hosted their first ever range tasting at Philadelphia in 2008. With 20 plus Australian and New Zealand winemakers in attendance, Vine Street sent out invites across the US states to distributors, retailers and trade punters. With approx 120 wines on offer and approx 400 attendees on the day, they were treated to possibly the most diverse wines ever shown in USA. Old Plains launched Raw Power Shiraz with great success, described as the wine of the tasting for delivering value for money, quality and a sharp marketing edge. American consumers have since embraced Raw Power for its sheer quality.