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“In 2000 when wine production outgrew Reillys Cottage, our winery at Leasingham was built housing state of the art winemaking equipment,” said Justin.<\/p>\n
“This step took us into a new and exciting phase of Reillys\u00a0growth.\u00a0Over the years, we purchased and planted more vineyards and sourced premium fruit from local growers in the Watervale and Leasingham areas.\u00a0Our estate vineyards in\u00a0Leasingham and Watervale\u00a0are 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.\u00a0Our winemaking philosophy is to produce premium wines from our Clare Valley vineyards with limited\u00a0winemaking intervention, allowing this quality fruit to truly shine.”<\/p>\n
Add This Cellar Door To Your List!<\/strong><\/p>\n Having started with just three wines, Riesling, Shiraz and Grenache, Reillys range of wines has grown to include award winning\u00a0Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Merlot along with cool climate Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir sourced from the Adelaide Hills.<\/p>\n There are also a number of wines available exclusively from the Cellar Door including Sparkling Riesling, Sparkling Shiraz,\u00a0Fortified Shiraz and Museum Release Rieslings.<\/p>\n Reillys Cellar Door is open 7 days and has a range of wines available for tasting plus ultra premium and\u00a0museum release wines that are rotated through an Enomatic wine pouring & preserving\u00a0machine. This means meaning there is always something new to try.<\/p>\n Stay A Little Longer<\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u00a0B&B cottages, just a short stroll from the Cellar Door in Mintaro.<\/p>\n We asked Justin more about the process – exactly what\u2019s involved in making his wines so appealing and unique?<\/p>\n “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\u00a0years of experience to create wines that showcase\u00a0the 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.”<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The grapes are then harvested, mostly by hand, before travelling the short distance to the winery in Leasingham.<\/p>\n “Our estate\u00a0vineyards are less than 10km from our winery ensuring the fruit arrives in premium condition before being crushed and beginning the fermentation process,” he said.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n When Justin decides that the wine is ready, it is sent off site for bottling, labelling and packaging. Often the red\u00a0wines 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\u00a0are patient.<\/p>\n For those now planning their Clare Classic trip, Justin said the Clare Valley offers something truly unique for all.<\/p>\n “Firstly, and most importantly, it is all about\u00a0the\u00a0wines,” he said. “Whilst the region is world renowned for producing the finest Riesling, red wine lovers will discover impressive\u00a0Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache along with alternate varietals of Tempranillo and Sangiovese. There are many\u00a0Cellar Doors to visit, each offering a unique experience and\u00a0distinctive wines.”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clareclassic.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/Reillys-1502-259-200x300.jpg\")
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