Our History
Shingleback wine has been a part of the McLaren Vale landscape for more than twenty-five years. We have been crafting wines that capture the genuine and enduring character of this land. Its long summer days, its rich ancient earth and our community of hard-working growers whose commitment to this land never wavers.
Hugging the crystal blue coastline and cooled by the ocean breeze, our grapes enjoy a longer ripening time on the vine. Remaining true to the varietals at the heart of this land; the generous, and structured reds that see McLaren Vale and Shingleback recognised around the world for producing some of Australia’s finest Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, year after year.
Made with integrity, and respect for the environment and community, we work with careful attention to detail to deliver consistent and characterful expressions of this place. With extraordinary depth, length and structure that see these wines, like McLaren Vale itself, stand the test of time.
Shingleback’s purpose is to capture the unwavering character of McLaren Vale, and continue to be generous by nature in all we do.
Our winemaker, Mark Jamieson
As a winemaker with 36 years in the industry, our winemaker Mark Jamieson says he still finds himself in awe of how incredible this profession is. With a low tolerance to wine snobbery, he believes there is no “right” or “wrong” wine—just varying degrees of personal opinion.
Mark Jamieson, Winemaker
Winemaking
Here at Shingleback, our winemaking journey is a deeply personal one, a heartfelt connection to the land, and a profound understanding of the vine’s voice. It all starts with the grapevine, firmly anchored in McLaren Vale’s soil. Our growers, the custodians of these vines, work tirelessly with a sense of care and respect, tending to their needs through every season. It’s a relationship that goes beyond words, where the vine itself tells us when it’s ready. It’s a magical moment, when flavours and maturity are perfectly balanced.
“As the winemaker, I listen intently, not just with my ears, but with a keen understanding and intuition. It’s a collaboration between myself, the growers, and the vine, as we strive to bring its story to life. Fermentation is where this tale truly unfolds, as the grapes transform into wine. But the journey doesn’t end there. Our grape’s essence is lovingly coaxed and nurtured as it rests in carefully selected French oak barrels. It’s a patient process, one that requires an understanding of each vine’s unique character. The result is not just wine; it’s a living testament to the land, the vine, and the winemaker’s soul.” -Shingleback Winemaker Mark Jamieson.
With each bottle of Shingleback, you taste the dedication, the craftsmanship, and the profound connection that’s at the heart of our winemaking. We invite you to share this journey with us, one sip at a time, as we pour our hearts and passion into every glass.
Mark Jamieson explains, “My future plan for Shingleback is to maintain and enhance the customer confidence to provide wines that are the best representation of the region, variety, and the historical winemaking influences. Shingleback will represent authenticity to those attributes with exceptional value at all price points. All whilst showing passion, having fun, and sharing the wines with our wine-community friends”
Awards and accolades
Unveiling excellence; our journey in wine awards
At Shingleback, we take immense pride in our longstanding commitment to crafting exceptional wines that mirror the beauty of McLaren Vale. Over the years, our relentless pursuit of quality has been consistently recognized and celebrated through numerous prestigious wine awards and accolades. The crowning jewel of our achievements, and one that has etched its name in the annals of Australian wine history, is the coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy.
The Jimmy Watson Trophy
This esteemed award, named after the renowned wine merchant and judge Jimmy Watson, stands as a symbol of excellence in winemaking. In 2006, our 2005 D Block Cabernet Sauvignon earned this prestigious honour. Winning a Jimmy Watson Trophy with a Cabernet Sauvignon that was still in its youth was a remarkable feat, one we share with only 3 other McLaren Vale wineries. It showcased the extraordinary potential and quality of our wines, highlighting our winemakers’ expertise and McLaren Vale’s remarkable fruit.
A Legacy of Excellence
While the Jimmy Watson Trophy is a testament to our commitment to quality, it is just one facet of our rich tapestry of accolades. Year after year, our wines continue to receive acclaimed awards, demonstrating the consistency and excellence that define Shingleback. Our journey through the world of wine awards has been an incredible one, and we’re excited to share more about our exceptional accolades and the stories that each bottle tells.
The Real Review – Both D Block’s receive a Merit rating
We are thrilled to share that we have achieved a Merit wine status for both the Shingleback D Block Shiraz and the Shingleback D Block Cabernet Sauvignon in The Real Review Wine Classification of Australia.
This classification comprises the greatest wines of Australia and New Zealand with the wines showcasing an outstanding track record and has demonstrated consistent quality in blind tastings over a period of at least ten years.
Shaping Wine Styles
Each region has a certain influence on the taste profile and characteristics of its wine. This is a result of the natural influences while the grapes are developing on the vine, and referred to by the experts as terroir. What is terroir? It is the collective of the environment, including the soil, the topography, the sunlight hours, rainfall, shifts in temperature and other climatic differences of a region. A wine from a certain region is as unique as an accent, and has tastes, aromas and hints of what is most popular in the region. There are several unique factors that carve and define a McLaren Vale wine.
Firstly, the Mediterranean climate and maritime influences allows for grapes to remain on the vine longer, without ripening too quickly. Consistent and hot summer days allow the grapes to develop and ripen, enhancing the flavours and colour. The cool afternoon seabreeze, pushed through the Vale via the St Vincent Gulf (aptly named after the patron saint of wine) cools down the temperature, allowing grapes to settle longer on the vine, and mature in flavour. The effects of this gradual ripening is particularly noticeable in a shiraz, often noted to be softer and more approachable when compared that of a warmer region. McLaren Vale Shiraz is regularly characterised as having a velvety texture and deep, complex layers of flavour, mostly accompanied by subtle earthy undertones that speak of the region’s ancient soils.
McLaren Vale is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world. The soil is estimated to be between 15,000 years to over 550 million years old and has been the subject of detailed examination since 2008.
McLaren Vale soils
The ongoing study of our region’s geology provides a key to the complex, constantly unfolding links between geology and regional wine varietals and flavours, whilst the map continues to assist viticulturists in appropriate planting. There is a wide variety of soil types across the varied terrain, from red brown sandy loams, grey, brown loamy sands with yellow clay subsoils interspersed with lime, distinctly sandy soils to patches of red or black friable loams.
The Davey Estate vineyard houses 9 different grape varieties over 5 different soil types and combinations. The vineyard has been developed on alluvial valleys of clay, including red and grey mottled clay, commonly capped with calcrete, quartz beach sand and most notably black cracking clay, so called because of its reactivity, with big cracks in summer & very sticky clay in winter. The cracks are very wide and fill with topsoil and organic matter each year. This is why they are called self-mulching clays taking nutrients to the lower root levels, which allow the vines to produce fine structured wines with fruit expression.
The cracking also has a root pruning effect which encourages new fine root growth to facilitate water and nutrient uptake. Water and nutrients are tightly held in the clay and the vine has to work hard to extract the water. The nutrients are tightly bound and even though rich in nutrients, the vine cannot access these easily. This all influences the iconic Shingleback wine style, which represents region, varietal and the Shingleback heritage.
McLaren Vale’s ancient geology has been widely studied and captured in the Geology of McLaren Vale Wine Region map and brochure. Both are available to download via McLaren Vale Wine
Discover The Region
The McLaren Vale region is located 45 minutes south of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. The area is bound to the south by the Sellick’s Hill range, extends east to Clarendon, reaches to the north just beyond Reynella and is bordered on the west by the waters of the Gulf St. Vincent. First planted with vines in the 1830’s, McLaren Vale is best known today for its internationally acclaimed generous, flavourful Shiraz.
A window to McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a wine and food tourism destination like no other. The proximity to pristine beaches and stunning natural landscape influences everything from the type of wine produced to the relaxed convivial lifestyle. With just over 100 cellar doors and wineries (not to mention the growing number of breweries and distilleries), you will be spoiled for choice when planning your tours, but wine is not the only reason to visit McLaren Vale. Also known as the “Gateway to the Fleurieu Peninsula”, McLaren Vale offers an abundance of activities. From taking a flight in a bi-plane, surfing, swimming, and fishing to relaxing over a long lunch after a visit to one of the local art galleries. Guests to McLaren Vale can do as much, or as little as they choose.
McLaren Vale was South Australia’s first wine region, established in 1838, while McLaren Vale’s heritage spans thousands of years of traditional ownership by the Indigenous Kaurna people. The region came into being two years after the state of South Australia was established and takes its name from either (depending on who you speak to) John McLaren or David McLaren (not related) of the South Australian Company, which was founded to build a new Australian colony.
Two English farmers from Devon, William Colton and Charles Thomas Hewett were drawn to the area by its fertile soils and fresh water and the two gentlemen established adjoining farms – then for cereals and cattle – that would become the Oxenberry Farm, which today produces award-winning wines. During the early 1840’s another young Devon farmer, John Reynell, established South Australia’s first commercial vineyard. While records differ, it’s believed he planted vines as early as 1838 or 1839 with the first vintage occurring in the early 1840s. Reynell was joined in this endeavour in 1850 by a young man whose name has become legendary in Australian wine circles, Thomas Hardy. Hardy learnt a huge amount from his time working for Reynell, and used this knowledge when establishing his own property. Shiraz and Grenache produced around 600 litres of wine in 1857, which was exported to England accompanied by Hardy. At the time, it was the largest bulk-wine export to England, and its successful sale inspired Hardy to plant more vines; the humble beginnings of one of the world’s great wine names.
While the early 1900s saw a turn in production to fortified wines, catering to the sweet trend from Europe, during the mid 1900s immigrants from post-war Italy arrived, bringing new grapevines and winemaking styles, along with olive trees and a passion for food. Along with so many other Australian regions, it was the 1970s and ’80s that saw McLaren Vale’s wines hit the world stage. On the back of traditional classics such as Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache, the region saw the number of wineries rise and its reputation for fine wine start to take root.
In 1999, McLaren Vale built the first and largest reclaimed-water network in Australia, allowing irrigation to come from sustainable resources other than river water. While McLaren Vale accounts for only a small percentage of Australia’s total wine production and exports, it is known domestically – and increasingly internationally – as one of the country’s most exciting wine regions. McLaren Vale continues to draw forward-thinking winemakers committed to producing creative wines that are an authentic expression of the region.
Plan your visit
Whether it’s tasting your way through one of Australia’s most famous wine regions, McLaren Vale, or getting up close to the local wildlife in Victor Harbor, the Fleurieu Peninsula boasts a diverse range of things to do that will leave you wanting more.
Below are some of our top local tips for exploring McLaren Vale. For more detailed information on this spectacular region, please feel free to visit fleurieupeninsula.com.au or mclarenvale.info
