The Oxenberry Range


Oxenberry wines represent the combined experience of over 120 years in viticulture, winemaking and geographical knowledge of the Scarpantoni family. With our premium Oxenberry range, the red wines in particular highlight the strengths of certain varieties in differing McLaren Vale geographical locations, and careful consideration has been made to make the best suited varieties of the region into their optimum style of wines rather than trying to make popular varieties into popular styles. To this end the wines will often be mixed varieties and will always be very limited in production.






2008 The Sermon Tree Adelaide Hills Pinot Grigio

Charles Hewett, the original owner of the Oxenberry Farm site, was a highly religious man. In the years before a church was constructed in McLaren Vale in 1844 (built by Hewett incidentally), he often held sermons for the local community on the Oxenberry property under a huge old hollow gum tree that once stood on the site around 100 metres or so along Kangarilla Road from the Oxenberry Farm cellar door. It is said the ancient hollow tree also provided shelter from the elements for the Hewett family before their house was built. Created with premium fruit sourced from the nearby Adelaide Hills region, The Sermon Tree shows a brilliant, transparent pale white/grey colour. Enticing aromas of pears, apples, grapefruit & citrus lead to a tightly bound palate of pears and mineral notes, finishing with cleansing acidity. The pear fruit is evident from the front palate right through to the almost ‘crunchy’ finish. A complex and complete wine, with a mouth-watering characteristic which has a habit of leaving you always wanting another sip. This wine is very much a food-orientated style; great by itself, but far better with the right foods, especially light and fresh seafood dishes. Try it with green prawns marinated in mirin (rice wine), chilli, garlic and coriander or parsley, calamari fritti, or seared scallops with ginger and spring onions, along with fresh green salads. "Really good Pinot Grigio - though I'd argue that it's more in the 'gris' mould. It's bold and fragrant, waxy and floral, its citrussy heart made far more interesting by the spicy, briney characters surrounding it. Good stuff. Fresh and interesting." 90/100 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, Jan. 2009 89 points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2010 $22.00 per bottle, click to order Tasting Notes (PDF)

2009 Jack Of All Trades McLaren Vale Tempranillo Chardonnay

Charles Hewett and William Colton, the original owners of the adjoining Oxenberry Farm sites noted in a letter dating from 1840 to the House of Commons in Adelaide the challenges they faced in settling the area. They mentioned the need for them to be ‘Jacks of all trades’ to get tasks done in building their homes and farms, as tradesmen and the like were very few and far between in Adelaide, and charged accordingly for their services. A refreshingly different style of wine to those currently available in Australia; much more so European in its orientation, sitting somewhere between a Rose and a dry red, making it similar to a Chianti or Beaujolais, but still different, especially with the addition of 14% Chardonnay to the Tempranillo to create the appropriate balance. The colour of our second release of this unique wine is a transparent deep purple red with bright red highlights. Aromas of fresh cherries, raspberries and floral Turkish delight dominate and the palate offers more of the vibrant fresh cherry characters. The Chardonnay (14%) tends to fill out the palate, adds stone fruit flavours to the cherries and berries of the Tempranillo and has a softening affect overall (86%). Fine grained chalky tannins give structure, adding to the food friendly nature of the wine, making it a great match with an antipasto platter of cured Mediterranean hams including prosciutto and pancetta, along with salamis, marinated vegetables and a range of cheeses. Well-made pizzas and tomato-based pasta dishes also tend to go hand in hand with this wine. With only 12% alcohol it’s lighter than many other reds and takes well to being chilled in a bucket of ice on warmer days. "And now for something completely different....along comes a whole new way to mess with drinkers' heads, tempranillo with a dash of chardonnay for goodness sakes. The 86% tempranillo with 14% chardonnay blend expresses the lighter (12%) sweeter side of the tempranillo spectrum, soft, vanilla spice aromas with fresh fruit flavours without great tannin grip or major oak complexities. And again it works well from the fridge at the new Oxenberry Farm cellar door in McLaren Vale." Tony Love - The Advertiser Newspaper December 2009 $22.00 per bottle, click to order Tasting Notes (PDF)

2007 The Bullocks McLaren Vale Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

Early settlers of McLaren Vale such as Colton and Hewett from Oxenberry Farm often needed the assistance of bullocks to move heavy loads when building their farms and harvesting their crops. On one occasion bullocks were being used to tow a cart carrying the coffin of a deceased man who had been buried in McLaren Vale, but whose family had moved to Adelaide and wanting him to be re-buried closer to them. The cart lost control when traversing a steep hill on the way back to Adelaide and the coffin slid off the cart, killing the driver in the process, becoming one of the extremely rare situations of a dead man killing the living...! The Bullocks is a classic interpretation of the quintessential red blend of Australia. The McLaren Vale region has a long history of growing Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the pairing of the two has blend made some of the greatest wines Australia has produced. At the other end of the scale, a good proportion of the value priced reds that helped Australian wines become so successful internationally have been made from blending the two varieties to create eminently drinkable wines at a low price. A true ‘workhorse’ wine style that at its best is very hard to beat. The colour is a vivid deep purple with striking bright highlights on the rim. The two varieties are clearly evident, with raspberries and smoky peppery notes rising from the glass. The Shiraz (60%) offers blackberry and plums, and fills out the palate, the Cabernet (40%) gives lifted dark berries, minty chocolate and an elegant tannin structure which acts as a perfect foil to the fullness of the Shiraz. The raspberry fruit lingers through the velvety and full bodied palate, complemented by smoky vanilla oak. A great wine to drink young, but it will continue to improve for a number of years to come. Richer pasta dishes would be ideal with this wine, but it really is suited to a wide spectrum of foods. A good eggplant parmigiana would be a perfect match, or roasted lamb, beef or pork with plenty of roasted vegetables. "The Cabernet Sauvignon in this wine has helped to give it a dry, robust character, which, coupled with the juicy power of the Shiraz, makes for a winning combination." 88/100 points, 4 stars for value - Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh The Big Red Wine Book 2009/10 $20.00 per bottle, click to order Tasting Notes (PDF)

2007 Blackfellows Well McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache

Oxenberry Farm is the site of a freshwater spring which had long-been the source of water for the local Aboriginal population, and was named Blackfellows Well by the early British settlers. It still exists on the site not far from the cellar door is located, and some large willow trees mark the spot where it lies. Due to being the only constant drinkable freshwater source for many miles, it was a regular meeting place for the entire community, British settlers and Aboriginals alike, and supplied water for the growing community of Mclaren Vale for many years. A classic interpretation of a blend of grapes so ideally suited to the McLaren Vale region, the Blackfellows Well combines two of the region’s traditionally best performing varieties to create a complex red that really demonstrates the suitability of the region to the varieties. The Shiraz component (75%) has predominantly been sourced from vineyards of the coastal side of McLaren Vale, which tends to give slightly more subtle and aromatic characters with slightly less palate weight compared to more centrally located vineyards sites. It gives earthy blackberries and spice to the wine, rounding out the palate; the Grenache has been sourced from a very mature vineyard also located on the coastal side of the region and offers liqueur cherries, raspberries and a savoury, meaty pepperiness. The two varieties working in harmony give the wine excellent balance, and the wine is best enjoyed when poured into a large red wine glass and left to sit for a while. It is drinking well in its youth, but will certainly further reward those who can cellar the wine for 5-10 years or so. Very enjoyable simply by itself, it would be an excellent match with roasted duck or pork. 90 points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2010 "Well Liked" - Ross Noble, The Courier, June 2009 $30.00 per bottle, click to order Tasting Notes (PDF)

2007 Star Of Greece McLaren Vale Shiraz

The Star of Greece was a part of a British-run fleet of ships transporting goods to and from South Australia during the formative years of the 1800’s. She ran aground in 1888 at Port Willunga during a storm so fierce it was described as a ‘one in one hundred years’, with only 11 of the 28 men onboard surviving. The Star of Greece Shiraz has been carefully created from four separate low yielding vineyards in the McLaren Vale region, with the majority of fruit being sourced from two vineyards located on the coastal edge of McLaren Vale (near the wreck of the Star of Greece), and two very mature vineyards in McLaren Flat at the opposite end of the region. The coastal sites have given the wine perfumed cherry fruit and peppery characters with firm tannin structure due to the high limestone content in the soils. The more centrally located vineyards sites have contributed cinnamon spice, liquorice and blackcurrant/blackberry fruit flavours, with greater intensity and power than the coastal fruit. The Star of Greece demonstrates the decades of regional viticultural knowledge of the winemaking team in the harmonious blending of the different vineyard sites, giving the wine distinct structure and balance and a great combination of flavours. 90 points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2010 8.6/10 - Max Crus, Grape Expectations, The Daily Examiner, June 2009 $35.00 per bottle, click to order Tasting Notes (PDF)

The Right Nut 20 Year Old Liqueur Muscat

Early settlers of McLaren Vale were quick to identify the region’s Mediterranean climate as being perfect for grapegrowing and the production of high quality nuts. Almonds were soon found to be ideally suited and become ‘the right nut’ for the region. To this day, the annual Almond Blossom Festival is celebrated in the region every August. This old Muscat has been carefully blended from wines sourced from a number of dusty old barrels tucked away in a quiet corner of the winery for 20 years or more. It’s the culmination of many years patient winemaking efforts, resulting in a deliciously rich and smooth wine with aromas and flavours of raisins, toffee, honey, roasted nuts and subtle hints of coffee, and makes a fine partner to high quality chocolates, various desserts, and nuts... "This truly is a great find from the team at Scarpantoni (& Oxenberry). They discovered a few barrels that had been sitting at the back of their winery for 20 years, blended the best of them and came up with a gloriously smooth dessert wine with beautifully integrated spirit." Tony Love - Taste, The Advertiser newspaper 27th Feb 2010 $30.00 per bottle, click to order Tasting Notes (PDF)

2009 The Duchess Late Harvest White

The first settlers of the McLaren Vale region, William Colton & Charles Hewett, left London in August 1839 having chartered The Duchess of Northumberland to sail across the globe and relocate themselves, their families and their staff to the Great Southern Land. They landed in Adelaide on the 19th of December and soon after arrived at what became their new homes at Oxenberry Farm. Some of the world’s greatest white wines are made from Chardonnay and each year it produces reliably great wines in South Australia, providing an excellent basis for the ‘The Duchess’. This particular wine has been created as a sweeter version than typical, with aromas and flavours of honeysuckle, pears, apples and peaches. It has been made for those who like their whites a little sweeter, or simply when the time is right for something refreshingly sweet, such as when dining alfresco with friends and family on warm nights. Try it with fresh fruit salads, soft cheeses, or maybe with figs wrapped in prosciutto topped with a dollop of goats cheese. $20.00 per bottle, click to order Tasting Notes (PDF)

The Farmgate Range


The Farmgate range are what we consider to be our Oxenberry ‘house’ wines.
We intend the Farmgate wines to be enjoyed for exactly what they are: a Sparkling white, dry White, Moscato, Rose, and a dry Red, and therefore we have deliberately left the vintages and varieties off the labels. The wines have been created from classic McLaren Vale varieties including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, with certain wines having percentages of other varieties to ensure the wines are easy to drink and true to style.

These are not wines to put away in the cellar, more so we have created the Farmgate range as great drinking, excellent value wines to be enjoyed anytime without fuss or guilt factor at home when friends drop by, or simply for having a glass or two with dinner each night.

All Farmgate wines are priced at $9.00 PER BOTTLE and $90 PER DOZEN (a saving of $18)





Farmgate Sparkling

The Farmgate Sparkling has been created from Chardonnay grapes grown in McLaren Flat, and the wine shows plenty of fresh white peach/stone fruit aromas and a subtle, creamy biscuity character which carries on to the full, soft, refreshing palate. It goes with just about anything, but best perhaps with creamy seafood dishes and crisp green salads, and is especially great when chilled in a bucket of ice and enjoyed simply by itself on warmer days: it’s the ultimate guilt-free bottle of bubbles.


Farmgate White

The Farmgate White has been created in the classic dry white style and is bursting with fresh fruit aromas of passionfruit, honeydew melon and a limey citrus edge, with a medium-full bodied palate showing more of the same vibrant fruit characters. Best with a wide variety of seafood dishes and crisp green salads, and especially great when chilled in a bucket of ice and enjoyed simply by itself on warmer days.


Farmgate Moscato

The Farmgate Moscato is a vibrant white with lovely floral Muscat aromas, along with honeysuckle and gently spicy stewed fruit adding to the interest. The palate is vibrant, full and fruity with a lingering sweetness, and a gentle spritz keeps the wine lively and fresh. Best when chilled in a bucket of ice under the verandah in the great outdoors with fun, informal company.


Farmgate Rosé

This vibrant Rosé has been made in the classic Aussie style, and is a beautiful bright pink colour and is bursting with aromas and flavours of toffee apple, strawberries, cherries and good ol’ English boiled lollies, and leads to you think the wine is very sweet on the palate, yet it tends to show a little more restraint than might be first expected. The vibrant sweet berry fruit carries through to the palate, with a lick of sherbety acidity keeping it fresh and in balance. Chill it well and try it with Asian dishes, especially Chinese, but it really is great anytime.


Farmgate Red

The Farmgate Red has been created by blending of some of the traditionally best performing McLaren Vale red varieties to create an easy drinking, food-friendly style of dry red. Cherry Ripe aromas and flavours dominate the wine (cherries, coconut and dark chocolate), with subtle hints of pepper and dry spices adding to the mixture, and wine is very easy on the palate, making it an ideal red to have any time.


Click here to order Farmgate wines