“No-one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”
Joel Mattschoss’ ‘Wilton Hill Vineyard’ is a pocket full of gold… literally. The 1941 and 2007 Shiraz are planted over an old goldfield at 490m elevation. Here quartz and ironstone soils harmoniously entwine over orange clay, producing complex yet elegant styles of Shiraz.
Joel’s reluctance to describe himself is indicative of his grape growing philosophy, “the vineyard is the hero, I am merely a custodian.”
The High Eden is home to many hidden gems with unrivaled characters in both the vineyards and locals. Inconvenient and rare water supplies mean only the resilient and proactive survive, forming a tough skin, which means working hard to manage water effectively.
As a true custodian would, Joel’s soil and row management utilizes sustainable and organic principles to further build vitality. In winter, sheep graze through the vineyard, reducing chemical usage, while straw mulch placed under-vine is used to improve water retention and to build organic matter. While Joel’s mid rows, a permanent cover of native grasses, also help build up organic matter while also keeping the soil temperature down during summer.
THE WINES
Two Hands Wines
Yakka Block Shiraz
Perched high up on the hillside of the Eden Valley, this beautifully positioned vineyard is surrounded by ancient Yaccas. The soil here is a mix of both quartz and ironstone and the vineyard’s high altitude allows for slow ripening that leads to a very soft and elegant style of Shiraz.
Head Wines
The Brunette Shiraz
“The Brunette is one of our ‘Limited Series’ wines and is entirely sourced form Joel Mattschoss’ Wilton Hill Vineyards. This superb vineyard sits at 500m on the back of Mengler Hill within the Barossa Ranges, Eden Valley.
The dramatic elevation, vine-age, shallow topsoil, quartz, ironstone and yellow/orange clays, combine to allow wonderful texture, complexity and above all finesse.”
Alex Head – Head Wines