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Coonawarra winemaker Sam Brand saw his destiny written in the stars.
Sam’s family story stretches back to the very start of Coonawarra winemaking, with plot lines that twist and turn over the past century, reflecting the fortunes of this famous patch of terra rossa earth.
A few years back, the fourth-generation vigneron was seeking inspiration to fuel a new winemaking venture when he emerged from a restaurant to see his fellow dinner guests staring at the southern sky in wonder.
“They were all looking up, mesmerised by the clarity and beauty of the night sky in Coonawarra,’’ he says. “Many of them were international visitors and I don’t think they’d ever seen the stars so vividly, shimmering like diamonds.”
The moment led to Sam’s creation of Nightfall, an exclusive, super-premium range created from one special vineyard.
Nightfall The Balance Cabernets 2021 – a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot – heads a stellar Coonawarra dozen deal from The Australian Wine Club, showcasing the type of high-quality reds that have garnered global attention for this rustic South Australian region.
Included in the mixed dozen is a benchmark Yalumba cabernet; a red blend from regional stalwart Parker Estate and a classic old-vine shiraz from the pioneering Redman family.
Sam’s links go back to Bill Redman, one of Coonawarra’s founding fathers, whose daughter, Nancy, married Sam’s grandfather, Eric Brand, in the 1950s. Together Eric and Nancy established Brand’s Laira Vineyards, building an enviable reputation over decades.
Sam’s father, Jim Brand, also became a highly respected winemaker at Brand’s Laira, which the family eventually sold to McWilliam’s Wines in 1994.
“I grew up surrounded by the vines and we’d always be doing chores, either in the vineyards and at the winery, things like sticking labels on bottles – it was just what we did,’’ Sam says.
Sam also ended up working at McWilliam’s as a sales rep but tragedy struck his family in 2005 when his father died from cancer, aged only 52.
“A lot of good people rallied around us – people like Dad’s protege, Peter Weinberg – and we decided to make wine again in our own name, launching the Jim Brand range,’’ he says.
This expanded into the Brand & Sons label, which is now rated five stars by the Halliday Wine Companion.
“It’s been an exciting few years – I think with Margaret River having so much success with cabernet, it’s pushing all of us in Coonawarra to lift our game as well,’’ he says.
More recently, Sam was attracted to the idea of launching a single-vineyard luxury range as a “point of difference”.
“I’d be trying to put something together that really showed a modern approach to what Coonawarra does so well,’’ he says.
As it turned out, the answer was written in the stars and Nightfall arrived.
A seamless blend of three Bordeaux grapes, with cabernet franc adding lifted rose petal aromas to the fan of red and blackcurrants, cinnamon and vanilla. Wave after wave of flavours flow through the luscious palate: ripe blackcurrants, vanilla, dark chocolate and bay leaf, with hints of tobacco, smoked meats, pan juices and kalamata olive. Wow! 97 points from Ray Jordan at Winepilot. 14.5% alc; RRP $80 a bottle.
Sponsored: SPECIALS – $75.99 a bottle in any dozen; $27.49 a bottle in Coonawarra dozen.
Named for Coonawarra’s distinctively shaped strip of terra rossa soil. Confident, stylish expression of Coonawarra cabernet: blackberry and blackcurrant aromas mingle with touches of green capsicum, dark chocolate, clove and soy. Bright acidity and sandy tannins drive to a lingering finish of cassis and spice. Excellent value. 94 points from Halliday Wine Club. 14% alc; RRP $35 a bottle.
Sponsored: SPECIALS – $31.99 a bottle in any dozen; $27.49 a bottle in Coonawarra dozen.
Made exclusively for our wine club, using fruit drawn from the 1890s heritage row and other Redman vineyards with an average vine age of 50 years. You’ll find heightened aromas of ripe blackberry pie with baking spice, juby blackcurrants, hints of chocolate and black pepper. Medium-bodied, with savoury characters mingling with red and black fruit flavours. A barbecue stopper. 14.2% alc; RRP $42 a bottle.
Sponsored: SPECIALS – $21.99 a bottle in any dozen; $27.49 a bottle in Coonawarra dozen.
From one of Coonawarra’s leading lights, created under its “small-batch wine” program to highlight special parcels of wine. Scents of plums, blueberries, redcurrants and violets lift from the glass, with oaky notes of buttered toast and vanilla. Juicy acidity and soft tannins shape the medium-weighted palate on the way to a long finish. Lovely drinking. 14.5% alc; RRP $50 a bottle.
Sponsored: SPECIALS – $39.99 a bottle in any dozen; $27.49 a bottle in Coonawarra dozen.
Sponsored: COONAWARRA DOZEN – Three bottles of each wine above for $27.49 a bottle. SAVE $291 a dozen.
Order by simply clicking the links to our online store or telephone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm AEST. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550. Stockhead is partnering with The Australian Wine Club on this offer.
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