Langton’s Selections
Knappstein Handpicked Riesling, Knappstein Single Vineyard Ackland Riesling, Knappstein Single Vineyard (Enterprise) Cabernet Sauvignon
Tim Knappstein established Knappstein in the old Heritage Trust listed Enterprise Brewery in Clare in the mid 1970s quickly establishing a great reputation for fresh, beautifully focussed Rieslings.
The vineyards, generally located around the northern end of the district near Clare Township, were mainly planted during the 1960s and 1970s. The highly prized Ackland Vineyard, renowned for its beautifully focussed and balanced Riesling fruit, is located further south near Watervale.
Knappstein has seen some turbulent corporate times having been acquired by Petaluma in 1992 and then again by Lion Nathan as part of its takeover of the Petaluma Group. From a secondary wine market perspective Knappstein is known as a specialist Riesling maker. The Knappstein Handpicked Riesling is one of the region’s quintessential wines
Langton’s Selections
Knappstein Handpicked Riesling, Knappstein Single Vineyard Ackland Riesling, Knappstein Single Vineyard (Enterprise) Cabernet Sauvignon
Tim Knappstein established Knappstein in the old Heritage Trust listed Enterprise Brewery in Clare in the mid 1970s quickly establishing a great reputation for fresh, beautifully focussed Rieslings.
The vineyards, generally located around the northern end of the district near Clare Township, were mainly planted during the 1960s and 1970s. The highly prized Ackland Vineyard, renowned for its beautifully focussed and balanced Riesling fruit, is located further south near Watervale.
Knappstein has seen some turbulent corporate times having been acquired by Petaluma in 1992 and then again by Lion Nathan as part of its takeover of the Petaluma Group. From a secondary wine market perspective Knappstein is known as a specialist Riesling maker. The Knappstein Handpicked Riesling is one of the region’s quintessential wines. It is classically vinified; the best free-run juice being cold settled for a couple of weeks before seeding with neutral yeast and cold fermented for up to 6 weeks.
The recently added single vineyard wine Ackland Watervale Riesling has performed well at wine shows although it has yet to make an impact on the secondary wine market. A “single vineyard Clare Cabernet Sauvignon” sourced from the low-yielding Enterprise Vineyard is a continuum of the wine previously labelled as Enterprise Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard possesses some of the best Cabernet vines in the Clare Valley and is located on Terra Rossa soils. The wine is vinified in Potter and open fermenters before maturation in French oak barriques for up to 28 months.
Unfortunately Knappstein does not have a strong cache in the secondary wine market. The handpicked Riesling is the strongest card in the pack.
Andrew Caillard MW, Langton's
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