Peter Lehmann

Blood, sweat and tears: Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 1987–2006

The story of Stonewell was summed up by Wigan as “a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.” Having formally established his eponymous winery in 1982, Peter Lehmann wanted to make a “Show Dry Red” in 1987. After all the red wines had been made, the best lot was picked out and put into American oak. The first two vintages of Stonewell were “made after the event, a selection of barrels after the vintage,” explained Wigan, though for subsequent vintages fruit selection became an important aspect of the wines’s philosophy. “As far as we were concerned, until 1988, grapes grew on the back of trucks,” he quipped.

Stonewell Shiraz is, said Wigan, “by definition, the greatest Shiraz of the vintage at Lehmann.” The grapes are drawn mainly from old, low-yielding vineyards in the drier western areas of the Barossa Valley. The oldest contributor to Stonewell is the Schrapel vineyard in Ebenezer, planted in 1885. The youngest vineyard belongs to John Russell and was planted in 1992 in Kabininigie. Different growers are used each year because, said Wigan, “different vineyards come up in different years…  We want to make our best expression of Barossa Shiraz, whatever that might be.”

From the 1996 vintage, French oak was used increasingly, settling on 90 percent from 2001 on. It has always been released at five years age. As Wigan pointed out, “it’s an expensive wine to make—French oak casks and five years of ageing.” Lehmann pays A$8,000 per tonne for Stonewell grapes compared to $1,500 for non-Stonewell, “so it is a great incentive for growers to pursue quality.”

A thousand dozen-bottle cases were made in the first three vintages, with production increasing to 3,500 cases in 1991 after the Jimmy Watson Trophy win for the 1989. 5,000 cases were made in 1998 and 2002, with the average about 2,500 in recent years.

Even Wigan admitted, “the early wines are quite simple and lack the complexity that we had from the mid-1990s on.” The older wines oxidized in the glass, losing any freshness they might have had at first, but there was not time to retaste. Overall, though, the wine was never over-extracted, over-alcoholic, or jammy.

Stonewell tasting 

1987

Garnet colour. Leathery nose, but not overwhelmingly so. Still quite fresh for its age and provenance, with some dark, spicy fruit still there, too. A bit hollow in the mid-palate—dried out a bit? The tannins have smoothed out nicely, though there is a bit of acidity still apparent on the finish. Perfectly drinkable but probably past its best. Good, warming length. Drink up.

1988

A shade deeper than the 1987, and a brighter nose, too, with plenty of deep, dark Barossa fruit still apparent. Similar flavours on the palate, with the aged fruit showing nicely. The finish, though, is very tart and less satisfying and plump than the 1987. Drink up.

1989

colour as before. Lovely nose, fresher and more youthful than the 1988, with dark fruit aromas. Big, plump palate, much richer than the previous two wines, with a better balance of fruit and acidity, though there is a bit of an acidic kick on the finish. Perfectly mature—drink now. Winner of the Jimmy Watson Trophy for “best 1 year old dry red” at the 1990 Melbourne Wine Show and deserving of its reputation. This was the first vintage of Stonewell to be barrel fermented.

1990

Colour as before. A leaner, “cooler” nose than the 1989, much less generous and with a tiny hint of brett. Less plump than before, with more tannins, so again suggesting less ripeness. Indeed, at 12.5 percent this is a full degree lower in alcohol than the ’89. It gets better as it goes along, with good flavors on the finish. Drink now.

1991

Colour as before. Another lean example, with not much there these days. The palate is unbalanced, unappealing, and dominated by acidity. The tannins are still there and are not hard or extracted, but there is not enough fruit to support both those and that acidity. Acclaimed as a great Barossa vintage but this Stonewell is poor by comparison to the 1989 and 1990. Drink up.

1992

Colour as before, with a little bit more purple at the core. Dark chocolate nose, and again a tiny bit of brett. Some mint on the nose, too. A return to some stuffing in the wine, with the tannins a little bit chewy but not hard. Plenty of acidity again but it is in synch with the fruit. The finish is excellent—rich, flavoursome, and long. A good Stonewell, a bit fresher than 1989, so just beating that to be the best one yet. Drink now or age another 3+ years.

1993

More purple again, turning to garnet at the rim. A leaner style of nose again, smelling dried-out and not very appealing, with a tiny hint of brett and VA. The palate is better and similar to 1992, with some plump fruit, brisk acidity, silky tannins—a little more pronounced than 1992, perhaps, but more sinewy—and a long finish. Good, but a pity about the nose.

1994

Similar depth of colour to 1993, but less garnet. More youthful looking than any of the previous wines. Unappealing nose and palate, with too much acidity and not enough fruit. But there is some plump fruit on the finish, suggesting it might age longer yet and could open up into something more interesting and enjoyable. “1994 and 1996 will age better than 1987 or 1988,” reckoned Andrew Wigan.

1995

A shade deeper. Not much on the nose at the moment, but not as disappointing as 1994! Dry at the front of the mouth, and certainly less “sweet” than a few of the previous wines, with plenty of acidity, too. There are still some tannins to soften but these are typically and characteristically well-extracted and not hard. Not quite ready—drink now to 2014?

1996

A bit more purple at the core than before. The first wine that smells of young Barossa wine: dark chocolate, mint and eucalyptus, and a bit of leather that suggests maturity is not too far off. Fresh and vivid, with more tannins than any previous wine but these are silky and fine, even if the wine is far from ready on the palate. A rich, long finish confirms this as the best one yet in this tasting. Drink now to 2015+? For this vintage of Stonewell French oak hogsheads were used for the first time for part of the fermentation and maturation.

1997

More purple again. Totally different to 1996. A bit closed but it feels older on the nose! Much more generous on the palate, presenting a big mouthful of tannin, not hard but certainly bigger and more extracted than previous wines. The finish is rich and long. Another good Stonewell. Age to 2015+? The amount of French oak used increased to 64 percent for this vintage.

1998

Deep purple, opaque at the core. Rich, ripe, and sweet fruit on the palate, though with less conspicuous tannins than with the 1997. Like Peter Lehmann himself, this is big and generous, as per 1989. The nose quite challenging at the moment, though—quite closed and a bit acetic. Drink now to 2015? Andrew Wigan remembered 1998 as “an amazing vintage. Everything on the tasting bench was black.” French oak was again increased to 70%.

1999

Not quite as deep in colour as the 1998. As with the 1998, the nose is difficult and not very expressive at the moment. The palate is much leaner than before, not as sweet or generous, and with less of a punch on the finish. Drink now to 2013?

2000

Colour as before, tinged by garnet at the rim. A tobacco note on the nose, but not yet fully open and developed. A return to the plump, rich palate style of 1994 and before, with very well-amalgamated tannins, nice acidity, excellent balance, and good length. A very good Stonewell. Drink now to 2015? The same oak regime as for the 1999—73 percent French and 27 percent American oak hogsheads for 18 months.

2001

Colour as before. Creamy-oak nose, very lush and enticing, as is the palate, which is full of generous, opulent fruit and some tannins to add interest to the lush fruit texture. Very sexy and moreish. Drink now to 2015—but probably at its best now for that lush fruit. French oak settled at 90 percent for this vintage, the remaining 10 percent American.

2002

Deep purple core. The nose recalls the mint and eucalyptus of 1996—only more so! Lovely and very appealing. Rich, sweet fruit, with some oak tannins still apparent at the moment, but perfectly drinkable already. Age to 2017+ for softer tannins and more complexity.

2003

A bit more purple, more closed, and less opulent than 2002. More open and generous on the palate, however, with deep, rich fruit and some oak flavours and tannins still perceptible, but overall a lush texture. Good. Age to 2020?

2004

Viscous deep purple. Closed, but a little bit raisiny on the nose. Still young and not yet harmonized on the palate, with some oak grip still apparent. But the balance is there and suggests ageworthiness. Too young to drink now with real pleasure. 2012–2020+?

2005

Colour as before, but a shade deeper. Prunes rather than raisins on the nose, which again hints at late-picked, very ripe fruit. A bit of toasty oak is also still apparent. Very lush and approachable on the palate, though, and drinkable now, with its very supple and silky tannins. Now to 2020? To be released in 2009 as the first Stonewell bottled under Stelvin. “When using screw cap it is imperative that the wine is absolutely free from any reductive characters prior to bottling because these will be magnified under screw cap,” explained Andrew. “However, this is standard practice for good winemakers, regardless of whether they are bottling under screw cap or cork.”

2006

Bright ruby purple. Less raisiny on the nose than 2005 or 2004 and better for it, showing some of the vividness and brightness of the ’96. Rich, ripe and generous, albeit with very youthful flavours at the moment, so age to 2020+ for more interest. Excellent balance and a punchy finish. To be released in 2010. As a point of comparison with the inaugural Stonewell, the 2006 has 6.83 g/ltr of acidity; a pH level of 3.46; and alcohol at 14.5 percent. The 1987 has 6.39 g/ltr acidity; pH at 3.29; and an alcohol level of 13 percent.

In 1979, Peter Lehmann founded the winery based on his bravery, loyalty and commitment to Barossa and his desire to ‘do the right thing’ by protecting his mates - the independent grape growers of the Barossa.

During this time Peter had little financial security and an impending vintage of 10,000 tonnes of grapes.

Family, friends and business associates were rallied to the cause to raise much-needed funds to house and process the fruit. With a very short time frame to work in, Peter and his partners got a lucky break when Hoffmans, an established winery on the outskirts of Tanunda, was put up for sale. The 1880s building overlooked the North Para River on fertile ground, and – with Peter’s guidance – his primary investor bought it as the new home of Masterson Wines. Peter and Margaret bought the block next door, and built the house Margaret still lives in today.

The greatest resource was the team who joined Peter’s mission from Saltram. The breakaway team was a “Noah’s Ark” of wine talent, including winemakers Andrew Wigan, Charles Melton and Leonie Lange, and engineer Mick Anderson.

The original plan was to process fruit and sell it to other companies as bulk wine. This worked well for the first two vintages until the industry took another dive, and the bulk wine market collapsed in 1982.

Peter’s solution to this new crisis was to join what he called the “glass jungle”: bottling wines, and taking them to market under their own brand. Masterson was not a commercial option, so a new brand had to be created.

To the family of investors and growers, “Peter Lehmann” was the logical name.

Peter dismissed the idea as a conflict to his winemaking ethos of teamwork. After a great deal of convincing, in 1982 he agreed to put his name to his promise to the growers and so Peter Lehmann Wines was born.

The Barossa has a winemaking heritage dating back to 1842 and has become Australia’s most famous wine region. 

The region is located a little over an hour north of Adelaide, South Australia’s capital city, and is home to a generous and vibrant community of artisan food and wine producers.

Settled by British and German farmers, landowners and craftsmen, the Barossa’s first vines were planted in the 1840s .  Some of the oldest, gnarly vines are used to make some special wines under the Peter Lehmann label – such as the Schrapel family’s vineyard which was planted in 1885 and provides the fruit for its namesake 1885 Shiraz which is sold as a single vineyard wine under the VSV - Very Special Vineyard - range in the best years.

The Barossa is comprised of two distinct regions, the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley and 14 sub-districts which include, but are not limited to: Gomersal, Rowland Flat, Vine Vale, Light Pass, Ebenezer, Greenock, Marananga.  Our District wines offer a great insight into the Barossa sub-districts.

The Barossa Valley and Eden Valley have a range of microclimates and soil types that when fully expressed make the wines a true reflection of their origins. 

For instance, a Shiraz grown on the fertile red-brown earth soils of the valley floor, will have a very different flavour profile to a Shiraz grown just a few kilometers away on the rocky soils of the high Eden Valley where it’s cooler and there is higher rainfall.  The slower ripening Shiraz from Eden Valley may exhibit more aromatic, spicy and elegant characters than that of a Shiraz from the lower lying areas where it may develop into a more robust and full flavoured wine.

The Barossa and Eden Valley boast over 750 grape growers, many of whom are fifth and sixth generation Barossans, who have combined their knowledge of the land and its climate with modern viticultural practice in an effort to grow wine, not just grapes.

Peter Lehmann Wines has over 140 growers across the length and breadth of the region, with access to over 750 individual vineyard sites.  With this unparalleled resource and peerless diversity, Peter Lehmann Wines is able to craft a range of premium wines that speak of their origins

Prior to establishing Peter Lehmann Wines, Peter had only worked in two wineries, both of which were built more than a century earlier. To process fruit for his first vintage as an independent winemaker, he had to build a winery from scratch in only five months.

With his breakaway team of winemakers, cellar hands and engineers, he designed a winery with the most efficient use of space and resources, allowing for future expansion.

Rows of tanks were put in place, and the Weighbridge - where every Peter Lehmann wine starts its life - was built out of local marble as a monument to the growers.

By February 1980, the winery was ready for its first vintage.

Peter spent most of that first vintage at the Weighbridge, keeping an eye on the incoming fruit and keeping up the relationships with the growers, as he did for every vintage until he retired in 2002. At the end of each day, and long after vintage finished, the Weighbridge became Peter’s bar, hosting many a memorable catch-up with the growers. The tradition continues today. If the old marble walls of the weighbridge could talk, they would tell a compelling version of Barossa history.

The Peter Lehmann winery today is one of the Barossa’s most sophisticated medium-size winemaking operations.

Peter Lehmann Wines is committed to environmental sustainability across all levels of viticulture, winemaking and operations.  We efficiently optimise the use of available resources; we limit the effects of the daily winery operations on the environment and we ensure that all materials used are recycled wherever possible.

VITICULTURE PRACTICES 

Our growers are proud of their stewardship and are committed to minimal input sustainable viticulture in order to leave their family vineyards in good shape for the next generation of family vignerons.  

WINEMAKING PRACTICES

The winery manages water use onsite with a treatment plant that processes recycled wastewater for use in cleaning machinery, barrels and tanks.  Peter Lehmann Wines seeks to reduce energy consumption during wine production to mitigate the risk of any undesirable energy being released into the atmosphere.  Greenhouse gas emissions and chemical treatments are addressed in a thorough environmental contingency plan to ensure that all winemaking procedures impose no negative threats to the environment. 

PACKAGING PRACTICES

Many of the under $20 Peter Lehmann wines are bottled using lightweight recycled glass bottles, with 95% of printed labels and cardboard cartons manufactured from recycled materials. Stelvin closures also use recyclable Aluminum with our corks made from renewable resources.  Peter Lehmann is a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Mentor Program that seeks to reduce the amount of packaging materials entering the waste stream. 

Peter Lehmann, a member of the Order of Australia and the original Baron of the Barossa, and a legend of Australian wine. He helped shape the industry over seven decades.

Behind the legend is a never-say-die attitude, a sharp wit and an intrinsic gift for winemaking.

Peter was born in the Barossa village of Angaston in 1930, the fifth generation of one of Barossa’s pioneering families.

His father Franz was the local pastor. Young Peter was well known in the community – albeit for his mischievous ways such as letting down the tyres of parishioners cars or randomly ringing the bell during service. Peter was only 14 when his father died, and the impact was great. He wanted to leave school, and with his mother’s support and community connections, he secured a role as apprentice winemaker at Yalumba in 1947. Over the next 12 years, he gathered skills that saw the naughty “Lehmann lad” evolve into one of Barossa’s most promising red winemakers.

He was also tutored in other areas of the business that set the foundation for Peter Lehmann Wines.

“Three mentors were most significant,” Peter recalls. “Alf Wark (the company secretary who first employed him) taught me the joys of food, wine, hunting, shooting and fishing; winemaker Rudi Kronberger, taught me the fundamentals of winemaking and proprietor Wyndham Hill Smith taught me the value of a man’s honour. I have adopted that philosophy and my word has been my bond ever since.”

In 1959, Peter was offered the lucrative position of Winemaker/Manager at another historic Barossa winery, Saltram. Over the next 20 years, he forged relationships with some of the best grape growers in the region, and cemented Saltram’s name as a key player in the red wine boom. “All agricultural pursuits are a pendulum. Eventually they go the other way,” Peter says today.

And so it was in 1975, when consumers discovered fruity white wines and red wine consumption declined. Peter saw the trend coming early, and introduced whites to the Saltram portfolio. He presented a long-term strategy for the business to survive, based on his pendulum philosophy. Unfortunately Saltram’s multinational owner didn’t share his vision.

In 1978, the directors instructed him to stop buying fruit, forcing him to renege on the deals he had established with the growers. Knowing that livelihoods were at stake, Peter said no, effectively putting his own on the line as well.

With that, he mounted a “rescue operation” for the growers, raised capital to buy their fruit, processed it at Saltram and then sold it to other wineries. “Wine is made in a vineyard, not a boardroom. Without growers, there is no wine. It’s a circle of life you can’t just cut off because of what the bottom line looks like.”

Saltram’s owners allowed Peter to work with the growers and process their fruit on-site as a “side-project”, which was considered a massive gamble by virtually everyone in the Barossa. He acknowledged the gossip in the best way he could. The side-project was named “Masterson” after the most famous gambler of all – the Guys and Dolls character Sky Masterson. Keeping it separate from his Saltram position, Masterson was officially managed by Peter’s wife Margaret.

In 1979, Saltram was sold, and the new owners put a halt to the operation.

With more than 60 family growers facing ruin, Peter took the rescue mission one step further and resigned. The stakes of the gamble got a lot higher. History now shows that the gamble paid off, however luck had little to do with it. With Margaret by his side, Peter enlisted a collaboration to build a winery for the growers, which in only three decades has become one of the most respected brands in the wine world.

His contribution to the industry as a whole was acknowledged in 2009 with an International Wine Challenge Lifetime Achievement Award.