Koomilya is a 12-hectare Upper Tintara vineyard in the heart of McLaren Vale, purchased several years ago by winemaker Stephen Pannell. “When I was at Hardy’s, the fruit we got off this vineyard was superb, and one of the wines I made from it won the Jimmy Watson Trophy [at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show], so I jumped at the opportunity of buying it when it came up,” he explains. First planted in the late 1800s, the combination of unusually sandy soils and old vine fruit gives an aromatic lift to the wines, setting them apart from the crowd.
Koomilya has become one of Australia’s most sought-after vineyards. “The wines illustrate what I‘m hoping modern McLaren Vale wine will be, which harks back to a tradition of what it looked like in the 1960s, without all the artifice of winemaking,” says Stephen. Above all, the wines convey an exciting, honest sense of place.
The ‘JC Block’ Shiraz hails from a single block of 49-year-old vines, the first block that Stephen worked with in the vineyard during his tenure at Hardy’s. It is a powerful wine with dark red fruits and savoury, earthy characters of cocoa and terracotta. Situated in the Upper Tintara subregion of McLaren Vale, the Koomilya vineyard was first planted in the late 1800s by the Hardy family. The vineyard is surrounded by forest, which is an important factor in moderating the site climate. A single block Shiraz from 50 year old vines grown on ancient, dark grey slate, siltstone soils flecked with ironstone. The JC Block is south-west facing at an elevation of 120 metres. Named after Jill Cant, the previous owner, it was the first block Stephen worked with in the vineyard during his tenure at Hardy’s.
The wine presents aromas of quince paste, vanilla bean, abundant black fruits, chorizo, paprika, redcurrant jelly and hickory. Initially delicate and elegant, the texture transforms as tannins gradually expand and blossom. The finish reveals layers of blackcurrant, quince, rhubarb and blackberry. The wine displays remarkable intensity while remaining svelte, pure, and poised—a complete and sophisticated expression.
