• Family Owned

  • Sustainably Made

  • Vegan Friendly

Weathered Oak in our Winemaking

Simon Sorby Adams’ approach to the judicious and bespoke use of oak in his winemaking began when he was Yalumba Chief Winemaker from 1980 to 1999, making The Octavius, The Signature and The Reserve 'Rare & Fine' wines.

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 air-dried weathering phases of both eight-years and four-years for his Sorby Adams red wines, using fine-grained oak barrels hand-crafted by Stillers Barossa, Francois Frere and Taransaud.

Air drying an oak barrel is essential for removing excess moisture and intensifying the desirable aromatics in wine, including cocoa, cedar, vanilla, and spices.

This use of extended air-dried fine grained French and American oak ensures the Sorby Adams red wines are made with a distinct flavour, elegant tannins and impeccable ageing potential.

Time in Oak
2019 The Thing | 40 months
Neptune Rings | 18 -36 months
Barossa Classics | 12 -18 months

Sorby Adams The Thing is a Super 100 Barossa Classification II wine; a marque of ongoing excellence in crafting a wine of prestige, pedigree and rarity.

The Barossa Super 100 Classification is a celebration of exceptional wines that define quality, collectability, and craftsmanship.

The Classification brings together some of the most sought-after wines from Barossa, celebrating a diverse range of distinguished vineyard sites, rare old vines, generational grape growing families and a commitment to excellence on behalf of the wineries.

Barossa is home to an abundance of outstanding wines, crafted by generations of winemakers and growers who are deeply connected to the land. The Super 100 is just one way to tell the Barossa story – highlighting wines that have earned global recognition, while supporting the broader reputation of the region and its world-class diversity.

Explore the Barossa Super 100