Brothers at War
Eden Valley // South Australia
Sustainable
The buzz around the wines made by brothers Sam and Angus Wardlaw has been building rapidly since the project's inception in 2013 culminating recently with the award for 'Best Grenache of the Year' and a 99 point review in the 2021 Halliday guide.
5 Star Winery
JAMES HALLIDAY
Home territory is Eden Valley's cool climate, organic, Pendee Farm. However, beyond the farm the brothers have access to remarkable plots of old vines in of some of the Barossa's most iconic sites.
Their father, David Wardlaw, was one of the bastions of the Barossa Valley in the second half of the 20th century, working alongside greats such as Peter Lehmann, John Vickery, Jim Irvine and Wolf Blass, and his legacy remains at the core of the brother's work.
Everything is about the vines - the brothers love the old, gnarly, water starved plants rooted in place in these legendary vineyards, and even more so the characterful fruit they painstakingly provide each year.
The winemaking doesn’t fit any particular dogma other than representing an effort to express these remarkable sites in the most compelling way the brothers can, and the results really are amazing.
Stylistically the wines are distinctly 'Barossa' in their power but with an elegance and purity that can only be achieved by using the very best, old vine Eden Valley fruit, handled without heavy handed extraction techniques or too much wine making.
And, while it is easy to isolate and wax-lyrical about the powerhouse single vineyard wines, it was actually the entry tier wines that most impressed us upon first tasting - they deliver a level of depth and juicy vibrancy across the board that we just could not walk away from!
Featured Wines
Eden Valley Single Vineyard Grenache
2018
"From 150+ year old vines from the historical Stonegarden Vineyard in Eden Valley - one of the oldest vineyards in the wider Barossa Valley. Natural yeast and about 40% whole bunches, with the balance being destemmed, whole, uncrushed berries. Hand plunged twice daily for two weeks before being pressed to French oak puncheons, then aged on lees for 12 months. No fining or filtration."
99 points, James Halliday + 2021 Halliday Wine Companion Best Grenache
Single Vineyard Eden Valley Syrah
2018
"From 80+ year old vines from the Pendee Farm vineyard. This wine is a tribute of what the beautiful Eden Valley region can produce, with its high altitude and cooler climate to the Barossa Valley, producing wines of alluring elegance and finesse. Handpicked and then destemmed but not crushed into a one-tonne open top fermenter with around 30% whole bunch clusters. Held at 10-15 degrees for five days, before being allowed to warm and start fermentation with natural yeast. Hand plunged twice daily for three weeks before pressing to 40% new French oak puncheons and 60% older French oak puncheons, aged on lees for 18 months racked once during this time. No fining or filtration."
96 points, James Halliday
The Peacekeeper Barossa Grenache
2021
"A red-purple hue, with great clarity and detail, pure plummy fruits underscored with floral flourishes along with ginger spice and a calm, airy sense of space on the palate, the Peace Keeper is a wonderfully composed and balanced wine with nary a hair out of place. Superb drinking and astonishing value for money."
97 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion