Kilikanoon

Winemaker and owner Kevin Mitchell purchased the Kilikanoon Estate in the hamlet of Penwortham in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley. Coming from a long line of wine grape growers, Kevin now had the opportunity to turn the vision of creating his own wine brand into reality. Kevin's father Mort Mitchell has been a defining influence, planting and caring for Kilikanoon's Golden Hillside ranges including the famous Mort's Block for over 40 years. Kevin's fascination with terroir is the result of presumed playing and ultimately working in this decision with his father. The first wines of the Kilikanoon brand from the 1997 vintage were four single vineyard wines, each from Kevin and Mort's decedents. These were the 'Oracle' Shiraz, 'Prodigal' Grenache, 'Blocks Road' Cabernet and 'Mort's Block' Watervale Riesling.

Kilikanoon wines can be derived by their balance between power and elegance, prolific generosity and good acidity. It's a pure variety expression with a clear Clare Valley accent through an unwavering and uncompromising commitment to quality in everything they do. Keeping all lots and barrels separate until blending is an important aspect of achieving regional and varietal definition in any wine. Traditional winemaking techniques and careful care allow their (very) old vines (they have a vineyard planted in 1865) to thrive at a low yield.

The powerful elegance of Kilikanoon Wines is the ultimate expression of Clare Valley terroir. A symphony of diverse and unique microclimates, masterfully composed to deliver impeccable quality and style for each wine. Careful site selection and diverse terroir enable them to deliver impeccable quality year after year and all this is also unanimously confirmed by the international wine press such as Wine Spectator, Parker and Suckling

Kilikanoon owes its philosophy to founder Kevin Mitchell and his father Mort and their fascination with terroir. This philosophy is embedded in the way our wine team makes healthy wines with clear regional and varietal definition.

One of the best wine grape growing regions in the world, the Clare Valley has three parallel valleys, each with a unique expression of distinctive terroir, varying in elevation, rainfall and soil structure. Despite occupying a relatively small area, the valley's numerous sub-regions exhibit individual microclimates particularly favorable to Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache, while elevation changes of 300 to 600m result in vastly different terroir.

Kilikanoon vineyards have been carefully selected to allow for a range of wines that express the individuality of their respective regions. On the south side of Leasingham is the Golden Hillside, the heart of Kilikanoon's Estate vineyards which include Mort's Block, Covenant, Walton's and Attunga, whilst adjacent to the original Kilikanoon Cottage, now the Cellar Door, is the Tregea Vineyard in the cooler and rugged Skilly Valley. In addition, soils vary throughout the valley, from reddish-brown 'terra rossa' over limestone to black alluvial soils in low-lying areas. The daily temperature fluctuations, warm days and cool nights in Clare Valley are key to creating powerful and elegant wines, beautifully balanced with ripe fruit, natural acidity, tannin and oak.