Knappstein winemaker Michael Kane. Knappstein Wines YouTube
Knappstein Wines of Clare is marking its 50th anniversary this year by refreshing its labels.
Knappstein is a name well known in Australian wine, especially in the Clare Valley. Mick Knappstein was a legend in Clare, where he ran the Stanley Leasingham wine company in the 1960s and ‘70s. He mentored Tim Adams among many, and had a long association with Max Schubert of Penfolds.
Aside from its new labels, with their more modern look, Knappstein Wines has released two super-premium wines—a riesling and a shiraz—under the 1878 Transcendence brand.
Mick’s nephew, third-generation winemaker Tim Knappstein, opened his eponymous winery in an old stone building, the former Enterprise Brewery, in the Clare township in 1974. After establishing it solidly over two decades, he sold it and moved to the Adelaide Hills (to open Riposte Wines) in the mid-1990s, where he’s been ever since.
Today, Knappstein Wines is owned by a Chinese company, Yinmore.
Aside from its new labels, with their more modern look, Knappstein Wines has released two super-premium wines—a riesling and a shiraz—under the 1878 Transcendence brand. The 1878 Transcendence Riesling 2024 and 1878 Transcendence Shiraz 2021 are priced at AUD $70 and $130 respectively.
Winemaker Michael Kane has produced a superfine riesling from the company’s Ackland vineyard, a wine of 11.5% alcohol and loaded with citrus florals and crushed herb nuances.
“None of my wines ‘need’ to be cellared, but they will age and have an optimal drinking window,” says Kane.
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
