Johann Gottlob Schrapel and his family arrived from Silesia on the George Washington in 1844. This was just eight years after South Australia was settled. Like many Silesian migrants, they travelled by ox cart to Bethany (Bethanien) and established the Barossas first settlement.

Johann planted the first vineyard in 1852 from cuttings carried from Europe. He built a wine cellar and had a reputation as a winemaker. Despite this the family were grape growers for the next four generations.

In 1981, fifth generation brothers Robert and Geoff established Bethany Wines. They built a winery in the quarry where the early pioneers had hewn stone for their homes. They crushed 2 tonnes of Shiraz and Riesling, launching the next chapter of the Schrapel wine story.

The early 1980s were tough for Barossa grape growers. A glut followed a red wine boom and grape prices fell below production cost. The State Government wanted growers to pull out old Shiraz and Grenache vines. They encouraged growers to plant new varieties or leave the industry. Fortunately, the brothers chose to establish a tradition of winemaking from this undervalued yet irreplaceable resource of old vineyards.

Vineyards

From selected Schrapel family and neighbouring vineyards, this Shiraz demonstrates the qualities of our corner of the Barossa Valley from the classic 2020 vintage.

Traditional viticulture practices were applied with the yield from old vines, 6.25t/Ha. The vineyards were hand pruned to 70 buds per vine to limit yields and concentrate aromatics and flavour profile.

Vinification

The fruit was crushed, de stemmed and left on skins in open top fermenters for eight days at a controlled temperature of 15-18 degrees. The juice was then racked and pumped over the skin cap for optimal colour and fine tannin extraction. Once the primary fermentation was completed the juice was pressed and left to settle to complete secondary fermentation before being transferred into older French oak barrels for maturation. The wine was matured for 12 months in oak to enhance fruit and palate structure development before bottling.

Tasting Notes

A nose of dark, briary fruits and lifted spice is followed by a palate with rich, fine tannins providing exceptional structure. The finish is long, juicy and filled with dark berry fruit and spice.

Enjoy with grilled red meats and tomato based casseroles.