With a background in pharmacy and medicine, Reillys Wines owner and winemaker Justin Ardill saw an opportunity to indulge his passion for wine by purchasing a small parcel of 12 acres of vineyards in Watervale in 1993.
A surprising career change you might say, but read the reviews of Reillys Wines – and take a look at the stunning property and cellar door he and wife Julie have developed – and you’ll see success.
Along with these vineyards, he and Julie purchased a humble cottage to be their cellar door and winery on the main street of Mintaro known simply as Reillys Cottage. It is this building and its 1856 owner Hugh Reilly that inspired the wine label ‘Reillys Wines’.
Beginning in 1994 with 10T of fruit, their first wines were created. Of this, 3.6T of Old Bushvine Grenache was crushed, open fermented and basket pressed by hand by Justin and Julie on the verandah of Reillys Cottage. The first vintage yielded 300 dozen of each of Riesling, Shiraz and Old Bushvine Grenache.
A destination in itself – the Reillys Wines cellar door in Mintaro.
“In 2000 when wine production outgrew Reillys Cottage, our winery at Leasingham was built housing state of the art winemaking equipment,” said Justin.
“This step took us into a new and exciting phase of Reillys growth. Over the years, we purchased and planted more vineyards and sourced premium fruit from local growers in the Watervale and Leasingham areas. Our estate vineyards in Leasingham and Watervale are characterised by rich red loam over deep limestone. Expert management by our viticulturalist and good mate Rob Smyth ensures the vineyards are low-yielding but produce intensely flavoured berries resulting in regionally distinct, fruit driven wines. Our winemaking philosophy is to produce premium wines from our Clare Valley vineyards with limited winemaking intervention, allowing this quality fruit to truly shine.”
Add This Cellar Door To Your List!
Reillys have a wide range of varieties both at their cellar door and restaurant in Mintaro.
Having started with just three wines, Riesling, Shiraz and Grenache, Reillys range of wines has grown to include award winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Merlot along with cool climate Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir sourced from the Adelaide Hills.
There are also a number of wines available exclusively from the Cellar Door including Sparkling Riesling, Sparkling Shiraz, Fortified Shiraz and Museum Release Rieslings.
Reillys Cellar Door is open 7 days and has a range of wines available for tasting plus ultra premium and museum release wines that are rotated through an Enomatic wine pouring & preserving machine. This means meaning there is always something new to try.
Stay A Little Longer
A restaurant is also open 7 days offering a lunch menu created by talented in-house chefs using local regional produce. And if you want to extend your visit to the Clare Valley, Reillys also offer 4 heritage B&B cottages, just a short stroll from the Cellar Door in Mintaro.
We asked Justin more about the process – exactly what’s involved in making his wines so appealing and unique?
Multiple award winning, Reillys Wines have to be tasted to be believed! Other than the restaurant and cellar door, Reillys also offers accomodation in its Heritage B&B Cottages.
“At Reillys we believe that great wines are made in the vineyard,” he said. “Our wines are a reflection of the unique terroir of our Watervale and Leasingham vineyards, our viticulture practices ensure premium fruit and low yields and our winemaker Justin Ardill uses his expertise and over 20 years of experience to create wines that showcase the distinct regional characteristics. Many of our vineyards are dry grown, meaning the vines rely solely on natural rainfall and are not irrigated. This results is small, concentrated grapes which are full of flavour and develop into intense, fruit driven wines.”
During vintage, Justin and viticulturalist Rob Smyth will walk the rows of vines each morning to determine which grapes have reached optimal ripeness and are ready for picking.
The grapes are then harvested, mostly by hand, before travelling the short distance to the winery in Leasingham.
“Our estate vineyards are less than 10km from our winery ensuring the fruit arrives in premium condition before being crushed and beginning the fermentation process,” he said.
“For our red wines we use traditional methods of open fermentation and hand plunging to extract maximum flavour and colour from the grapes. After fermentation, the wine is pressed off the skins before being transferred to oak barrels for maturation, some for as long as two years.”
When Justin decides that the wine is ready, it is sent off site for bottling, labelling and packaging. Often the red wines will be bottle matured for a year or so prior to release, resulting in beautifully aged wines that are ready for drinking or can be cellared further for those who are patient.
Picture perfect – Reillys vineyard and the distant rolling hills of the Clare Valley.
For those now planning their Clare Classic trip, Justin said the Clare Valley offers something truly unique for all.
“Firstly, and most importantly, it is all about the wines,” he said. “Whilst the region is world renowned for producing the finest Riesling, red wine lovers will discover impressive Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache along with alternate varietals of Tempranillo and Sangiovese. There are many Cellar Doors to visit, each offering a unique experience and distinctive wines.”
Perfect Mediterranean Climate
Secondly, Justin said a Mediterranean climate with sunny blue-sky days and cool crisp nights helps produce not only premium wines and produce, but also gives visitors plenty of beautiful, sunny days to explore cycling trails, cellar doors and outdoor experiences.
“Thirdly, the heritage and culture of the Clare Valley offers a rich tapestry of stories, people and places just waiting to be explored,” he said.
“From Jesuit winemaking at Sevenhill to the heritage listed township of Mintaro to the majestic Martindale Hall, there are so many fascinating stories to be discovered.”
Justin finished by saying it’s a great honour to host the Clare Classic in the Clare Valley and have the opportunity to share the beautiful region with so many new visitors.
Thank you Justin & Julie! We are particularly looking forward to spending time in the region.
For further details on Reillys Wines or to enquire about accommodation at their Heritage B&B Cottages visit www.reillyswines.com.au
