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Australia wide
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Family Owned
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Sustainably Made
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Vegan Friendly
The Maker’s story
Meet the Maker
With an impressive 45 years in the wine industry, including two decades as the Chief Winemaker at Yalumba (Hill-Smith Family Estates), Simon Sorby Adams remains steadfast in his commitment to traditional winemaking techniques, precise oak selection, and showcasing the distinctive characteristics of region.
Continuing this with his own Sorby Adams Barossa wines established in 2004, Simon with wife Jill, collaborate closely with family growers in Australia’s Eden Valley and Barossa Valley to produce his collection of premium and ultra-premium Sorby Adams wines.
Simon’s passion for oak is a defining element of his winemaking philosophy. He skillfully employs eight-year air-dried fine-grain French oak in producing The Thing Barossa Old Vine Shiraz, a wine that holds the coveted Barossa Super 100 Classification. Additionally, he utilizes four-year air-dried fine-grain French oak for the Neptune Rings and Barossa Classic collections, enhancing the quality and aging potential of these red wines.
A Vintage Clock - All In A Matter Of Time
"My first vintage was over four decades ago and as a young kid out of school, I needed an alarm clock for nightshift.
In a small local country store, a girl named Jill (not that she was all that keen to tell me), sold me one.
Years went by, and we separately each had three kids and continued to live in the community.
Years later we found each other again and were married in November 2022.
And the clock still works. It was all just a matter of time..."
The Next Generation
Simon's kids are Angus, Digby and Sally. The portmanteau of their names is GUDILLY.
Their wines capture today's emerging and popular grape varieties, and are made with drinkability, and with food and lifestyle choices in mind.
Sourced from single vineyards in the South Australian regions of Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains, Clare Valley, Eden Valley and the Riverland, the styles are created in the vineyard prior to harvest.
Fun and fresh, the next generation wants to experience new ways, experiment with new flavours and enjoy in more casual settings.
Our Dogs
"Our dogs came from the same litter but look nothing alike.
Balto was named after a husky that delivered vaccines and medicines in Alaska during a blizzard (the original has a statue in New York).
Balto’s sister is Mischa, named after a Russian beauty, but nothing like a Siberian husky. She crouches like a kelpie and thinks she’s an Aussie working dog. They make time in the winery interesting."
This sixth edition of Wine Dogs Australia features the duo on a limited release cover with pages adorned with over 150 wineries with captivating portraits of their loyal pooches.
Visit our Online Store to grab a copy!
The Vineyards + The Sub Regions
Eden Valley and Barossa Valley sub regions make up the Barossa where uniquely both cool and warm climate sexist in the same region. The influence of structure and finesse from Eden Valley, with the power and richness of Barossa Valley results in wines to delight upon release and cellaring capabilities for the coming decades.
Oak
Simon Sorby Adams’ approach to the judicious and bespoke use of oak in his winemaking style dates back to when he was Yalumba Chief Winemaker from 1980 to 1999 (Hill-Smith Family Estates).
The typical airing time for oak is two to three years, but back then Simon experimented with airing spells that lasted up to eight years.
Today, Simon uses an air-dried weathering phase of both eight-years and four-years for his Sorby Adams wines, with Stillers Barossa, Francois Frere and Taransaud his chosen Coopers.
This use of extended air-dried, fine grained French and American oak ensures red wines are made with distinct flavour and impeccable ageing potential.
Time Spent in Oak
The Thing 40 months
Neptune Rings 18 -36 months
Barossa Classics 12 -18 months
Community + Support in Sponsorship
At Sorby Adams we're proud to support local community. We now sponsor ESTARA (previously PQSA and HomeCare+) in their support of spinal cord injury clients and activities.
At their recent brand launch, Simon and Jill attended and were inspired by the stories of resilience.
