Gentle Folk Wine

(Image: Gareth & Rainbo Belton - Gentle Folk Wines / www.gentlefolk.com.au)

2025 Rising Star of the Year winner- The Real Review

About

"Prior to winegrowing, we were both marine scientists, specialising in phycology (the study of marine plants). In our PhD studies (at different universities), we studied the biodiversity of different seaweed groups and how they are related. It was super fun and the discovery and naming of new species a big highlight, as well as the top notch collaborators we each worked with. A love of wine, food and growing things eventually drew us away from academic life. The Gentle Folk story began in 2012 after spending a lot of our free time in Basket Range helping and hanging out with James Erskine (Jauma), Alex Schulkin (The Other Right) and other early pioneers of the Basket Range wine movement. Our winemaking journey started with just three barrels of wine in 2013 from the Broderick's Basket Range Vineyard, and a dream. Over the years we have been lucky enough to travel parts of the world learning about winemaking and growing, have acquired a lot more vineyard area as well as built relationships with some amazing growers in the Adelaide Hills. We currently produce between six and seven thousand cases annually, employ five lovely humans and farm eight hectares of vines. A kid (Leonard) appeared somewhere in the middle! We hope you have an opportunity to try and enjoy our wines no matter where on earth you find yourself." 

- Gareth & Rainbo Belton - Owners, Growers and Winemakers

2025 ' Village' Release

2025 Riesling

 Our love for off-dry Riesling has meant giving the style a third run but with some refinement. Dryer than previous years, bottled much earlier but still with a little hint of sugar to balance out the acidity we get from the high altitude and quartz soils of Scary Gully. We love riesling, simple. Enjoy.

Vineyard: Scary Gully
Vine age: 12 years
Clones: GMI98
Elevation: 620 metres
Residual Sugar: 9g/L
Aspect: South-east

Soils: Light loamy clay over sandstone with extensive schist and quartz rubble.

Vinification: 100% whole cluster pressed and settled in tank overnight. Fermented and rested in terracotta egg and old oak for eight months.

Alcohol. 10.5%
Production. 166 cases

 

2025 Sauvignon Blanc

Vineyards: Summertown
Vine age: 22 years
Clones: Unknown
Elevation: 450-620m
Aspects: Various
Soils: Light loamy clay over sandstone with extensive schist and quartz rubble.
Vinification: 100% whole cluster pressed and settled in tank overnight. Racked to neutral French barriques and hogsheads for eight months.
Alc: 13.5%
Production: 980 dozen

 

2025 Chardonnay

Vineyards: Ashton, Scary Gully, Summertown, Basket Range, Charleston, Piccadilly & Lenswood
Vine age: 5-32 years
Clones: G9V7, i10v1, 95 & 96
Elevation: 400-500m
Aspects: Various
Soils: Light loamy clay over sandstone with extensive schist & quartz rubble.
Vinification: 100% whole cluster pressed and settled in tank overnight. Racked to a mixture of French and Austrian barriques, puncheons and foudre for nine months, 20% new.
Alc: 13.0%
Production: 770 dozen

 

2025 Pinot Noir

Vineyards: Monomeith, Uraidla, Piccadilly, Summertown, Little Creek, Basket Range, Scary Gully & Charleston
Vine age: 5 -37 years
Clones: MV6, D5V12, Pommard, 114, 115, 777, 828, 667 & Martini
Elevation: 500-620m
Aspects: East-west (Monomeith), north-south (Little Creek),North (Basket Range), South-east & South-west (Scary Gully) and North (Uraidla)
Soils: Light loamy clay over sandstone with extensive schist & quartz rubble.
Vinification: Mostly 20% whole cluster open top fermentation for three weeks, but the blend includes some shorter macerated 100%-whole-bunch fermentation barrels. Eight months in French oak barriques and puncheons, 15% new.
Alc: 13.0%
Production: 1,100 dozen

2025 Village Sangiovese

Vineyard: Charleston and Forreston
Vine age: 16 - 27 years
Clones: H6V9
Elevation: 300 - 460m
Aspects: Various
Soils: Sandy loam over siltstone and sandstone.
Vinification: 100% destemmed open topped fermentation for three weeks before closing the tank and leaving on skins for an extra three weeks. Pressed to a combination of hogsheads, terracotta and foudre for 8 months.
Alc: 13.5%
Production: 700 dozen

 

2025 Syrah/Shiraz

Vineyards: Turnbull (Charleston) & Murdoch Hill
Vine age: 8 - 31 years
Clones: 1654, 470, SARDI7, BVRC12 & 2626
Elevation: 400 - 460m
Aspects: North
Soils: Sandy loam over red-orange clay and sandstone.
Vinification: 25% whole cluster open top fermentation for three - four weeks. Eight months in French puncheons, 20% new.
Alc: 14.0%
Production: 250 dozen

 

(Image: Gareth & Rainbo Belton - Gentle Folk Wines / www.gentlefolk.com.au)

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