Katnook Estate

Katnook  is located on the Riddoch Highway, just north of Penola, in the heart of Coonawarra. Katnook is an aboriginal word meaning "Fat Land" referring to Coonawarra's red, fertile soil known today as "terra rossa".
 

Katnook was the site of Coonawarra’s second vintage made by John Riddoch in 1896. In the 1980, the second chapter of Katnook Estate began when wines were again produced from the property by Senior Winemaker Wayne Stehbens...who still makes Katnook Estate wines today, with the crush of the 2013 vintage, Wayne celebrated 35 vintages at Katnook.
 

Wayne Stehbens boasts an extraordinary track record, having won two Jimmy Watson Trophies (1987 and 1998) and a double trophy at the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2003 for Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon 1998. Further trophies include the 2000 Odyssey winning both the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2005 and Decanter Wine Awards 2005.

In the Langton’s Classification VI, Odyssey is rated "Outstanding", while the Prodigy Shiraz and Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon are rated "Excellent".   Katnook is one of just six Australian wineries with three or more wines in this prestigious list.

Today, Wayne works alongside General Manager of viticulture, Chris Brodie drawing fruit from the 198 hectare vineyard to craft wines under the Katnook Estate and Katnook Founder's Block brands.

Katnook Estate's vineyards stretch over 198 hectares on the fabled Terra Rossa soil. Varieties planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir (sold as fruit), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling - giving a total production of 90 000 cases.

Katnook Estate quality begins with growing grapes which capture Classic Coonawarra flavour, while minimising environmental impact.  Planting density for our premium wines is 3 333 vines per hectare.

Through ongoing trials in trellising, canopy, environmental and water management, Vineyard Manager Chris Brodie's aim is "to provide our winemakers with fruit that surpasses expectations. That's when I know the hard work has paid off."

Katnook Estate vineyards have a variation of soil types from the classic terra rossa through to a lighter sandy loam and heavier transitional darker clay.  The vineyards operate under two main trellis type variations - two-wire vertical on older vineyards and vertical shoot positioning on most young vineyards. This varies according to variety and soil - on newer Cabernet vineyards, single cordon, spur-pruned and sprawling canopy seem to provide the ideal light environment. Other varieties are assessed and soil type considered before deciding on the trellis type. Some older vineyards, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, have been converted form two-wire vertical to a single spur-pruned cordon with improvements to wine quality.

Katnook Estate shoot thins leaf plucks to improve light environments. There are no hard and fast rules - location, variety, quality potential and seasonal influences are all considered.  In the past, there has been a lot of leaf plucking on red varieties, but now the team tries to forecast the season with regard to potential heat waves and provide leaf cover to protect the grapes from sun damage.

Katnook Estate also uses geographic information system technology to improve its knowledge of the soils via EM38 soil surveys, cell density surveys, yield monitoring.   This had led to improved irrigation management, differential pruning within rows and better targeting of vineyard sampling for yield estimation and maturity monitoring.

Winemaker Wayne Stehbens has been at Katnook’s winemaking helm since 1979, making him one of Australia’s longest serving winemakers.  In 2013, he celebrated his 35th vintage at Katnook.  Wayne is also one of the nation's most succesful winemakers, having won two Jimmy Watson trophies, several international trophies and three listings on Langton's prestigious Classification of Australia wines.

Decades of experience have also taught Wayne what works best for Katnook fruit on its way to bottle. From time of crushing and pressing strength to selection of yeast and oak – Wayne explains “Winemaking is an exciting challenge here from year to year. Nothing is static. Seasons, knowledge, equipment, oak...even our markets – they’re forever evolving.”

Approximately 90 000 cases are made annually under the Katnook Estate (25 000 cases), Katnook Founder's Block (40 000 cases) and export labels.

Wayne describes his winemaking style as “making wines which show subtlety, intrigue and complexity. Reflecting the essence of Coonawarra’s terroir is integral to my winemaking approach.”Wayne is ably assisted by experienced winemaker, Trent Nankivell.