Kay Brothers

"The oldest McLaren Vale winery to remain in founding family hands (since 1890) is no stick-in-the-mud. However, the Kay’s 22ha of ‘mud’ is special, especially Block 6, planted in 1892, which produces an iconic Shiraz. Attractively earthy, flavoursome reds (including a Nero d’Avola) are vinified in the original basket press and open fermenters. With more restrained oak, nothing is over-blown." - Sarah Ahmed, January 26, 2020

The French call it ‘patrimoine’ but in the realm of the Kay Brothers, it is simply tradition. The Kay Brothers tradition is to produce full bodied, fruit driven red wines with unabashed confidence. Being the oldest family run estate still to exist in McLaren Vale since acquiring their Amery vineyard in 1891, the Kay Brothers estate is revered both home and abroad for its loyalty to their traditions as well as their ability to produce fantastic wines for more than a century. Of note, however, is the fact that they were one of the first to embrace screwcaps in Australia with all of the winery’s production bottled under this closure today.

With such a long history of winemaking, at the disposal of the winemaking team is an enviable stock of old vine Shiraz yielding immensely concentrated berries which are used in the two superior bottlings, Hillside Amery Shiraz and Block 6 Shiraz. What sets the two wines apart, despite coming from the same terroir, is the more favourable position occupied by the Block 6 plantings. Widely regarded as the junior sibling of the two, the Hillside Amery Shiraz is more approachable when young and offers comforting drinking whilst waiting for the grand Block 6 Shiraz to mature. Medium tannins, dried fruit and aniseed notes are usually complemented by a full-bodied weight that manages to deliver an extraordinarily balanced wine.

Featured in Decanter's top 10 'Names to know in McLaren Vale.'