Ballast Stone

The Shaw family own vineyards in the premium cool climate regions of McLaren Vale and Currency Creek in South Australia, with a total of 485 hectares under vine.

In the 1800s Goolwa was the most important river port in South Australia linked by rail to Port Elliot, where sailing ships unloaded ballast stone to refill their holds with wool and grain for their return trip to England. Buildings on Ballast Stone Estate Vineyards are made from this stone. In 2000, work commenced on building a state of the art winery, followed by the first crushing in the 2001 vintage.

Anthony Byrne Fine Wines currently stock the following Ballast Stone wines:

- Shiraz: bold, powerful and distinctly McLaren Vale. Winner of over 60 awards.

- Riesling: citrus and floral notes, combined with a tight mineral acidity, results in a highly aromatic wine that is racy and cheeky in its youth, but with the pedigree to age into a grand old stager.

- Chardonnay: peach, melon and butterscotch. The subtle use of French oak gives this wine richness and complexity, but still allows the fruit characters and clean finish to show through.

- Cabernet Sauvignon: made from rich alluvial red soils at the foothills of the ranges. Chocolate, mint and cherryripe have been the words consistently used to describe this bold wine.

- Merlot: mocha, cherries & violets. The Ballast Stone Merlot is traditionally a bigger style than most, showing great structure and length, with an ability to age gracefully.