Already nominated for Best New Winery in the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, Neldner Road is the label everyone should be watching. Because although it is a new winery, it has an enviable heritage that stretches beyond its Barossa vines.
The name Dave Powell will be familiar to those with memories that stretch back far enough. Dave founded Torbreck Wines in 1994 and raised it into a world-renowned brand. The Wine Advocate, a newsletter and rating system helmed by esteemed wine critic Robert Parker, hailed Torbreck wines extraordinary and scored the 2002 Run Rig Shiraz 99 points out of 100, calling it “virtually perfect”.
Today, it’s not uncommon for collectors to pay more for a bottle of Dave’s Torbreck wines than for a bottle of Penfolds Grange.
“For better or for worse, the wines have some level of the passion, the philosophy and everything of the winemaker embedded in the wine,” says Dave.
“I’ve been making these wines for almost ten years now,” he says. “It’s new, and it’s not if that makes sense. The Halliday thing is quite timely for us because it tells people the new name.”
The vineyards where Dave sources the grapes for the Neldner Road wines include ones he has personally brought back to life and has now been tending to for over two decades, preserving them to produce into a second century of age.
With a focus on terroir expression, each bottle in the Neldner Road collection has a vibrancy and depth that reflects a minimalistic approach – a hallmark of Dave Powell’s wines.
“The French will tell you that one of the strongest components of terroir is the winemaker’s hands. You can give ten different winemakers the same tonne of fruit, and they’ll make different wines, depending on their philosophy on winemaking. People tend to forget that,” says Dave.
“Really great wines all have some expression of the personality of the person making the wines. I think that’s what sets the wines apart when people realise they’re getting something that has a personality.”
Dave believes that a good winemaker should be there for all the stages of the winemaking process, from the pruning season to the finished product. Bringing this approach to his wines is what he believes plays a major part in how they taste in the end.
“This will sound a bit touchy-feely, but it’s true, wine should represent or have some implant of the philosophy of the winemaker, like any form of art,” Dave says.
“We work with agriculture, it’s not pure art, but there is a level of that. I think everything I’ve made, if you look at all the wines I’ve made for the last 30 years, you can normally tell they’re a Dave Powell wine.”
Neldner Road crafts two distinct sets of wines that showcase the remarkable variance of the Barossa region. The regional range selects grapes from different locations and shows the overall diversity of the Barossa. While the second collection is all single vineyard, single varietal wines that show off the best individual soil types and microclimates of the Barossa.
“Barossa wines are big and rich wines,” Dave muses. “I have, as I’m told, somewhat of a big personality. My personality suits making Shiraz and Grenache.”
The result of this big personality is a range of fine wines that have some calling the 2021 vintage from Neldner Road the best in living memory.
With diverse wines, including regional blends and single vineyard varietals, Neldner Road exemplifies Dave’s personal touch and dedication to preserving historic vineyards. Each bottle embodies his winemaking credo, creating a distinctive and artful experience for wine enthusiasts.
Where: Neldner Road, 119 Neldner Road, Marananga Barossa, SA 5355
Wine tasting by appointment only: Phone – 08 8524 4465 or email [email protected]
More information: Click here
