Spider Bill
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
SA, VIC, NSW & TAS
Spider Bill is the project of Tarrant Hansen, a former medical scientist (specialising in Mycobacterium) whose passion for wine, and a fortuitous Google search, led him from Queensland to the Adelaide Hills and then around the world in pursuit of learning and experience in the art and science of winemaking.
Tarrant and his wife Melanie moved to the Hills in 2009 with Tarrant completing a Master of Oenology at Adelaide University before building his impressive catalogue of vintages across South Australia, Marlborough, Stellenbosch and Piedmont.
It was his time at Bera in Barbaresco that proved particularly influential, refining his fascination with Nebbiolo and cornerstone Italian varieties. By the time Spider Bill’s first vintage was released in 2014, Tarrant had developed a clear winemaking philosophy: to make wines of vibrance, elegance and expression, allowing both variety and place to speak without embellishment.
The Adelaide Hills remains central to that philosophy. The combination of elevation, aspects and cool-climate provides a broad canvas, allowing classic regional varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to sit comfortably alongside Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Verdicchio. Tarrant has wholeheartedly embraced the diversity of the region and indulged a passion for viticulture, with the Spider Bill estate vineyards contributing more to the range as the years pass.
What makes Spider Bill particularly compelling is a real sense of curiosity, discovery and innovation, a reflection of Tarrant’s scientific yet restless mind. There’s a willingness to explore without losing sight of approachability and flavour, with familiar varieties showing individual expression, and unique choices finding a natural home in the Hills. This is a range that is considered, but never constrained.
2021 Sparkling Blanc de Blanc
For his inaugural Spider Bill NV Blanc de Blanc, Tarrant opted for a blend of 2020 and 2021 vintage base wines. All the Chardonnay comes from the Uva vineyard in Piccadilly.
Winemaking
The juice was barrel fermented on full solids and kept on lees for six months. The wine was tiraged in mid July 2021 and disgorged the end of 2023/start of this year.
Tasting Note
This pristine sparkling wine has a linear style, much like the Spider Bill Chardonnay, with added complexity from 34 months on lees in bottle before disgorging in May 2024. Dosage 6g/L.
2024 Chardonnay
The quality of Tarrant’s Chardonnay is a testament to his small batch approach. Made with modern Australian every day drinking and eating culture in mind, it is a fuss-free expression of premium Adelaide Hills fruit.
Winemaking
The fruit comes from select parcels in Piccadilly Valley and Lobethal. It was whole bunch pressed and barrel fermented on full solids. The wine then spent 9 months in old and new (15%) French oak barrels. It did not go through malolactic fermentation.
Tasting Note
This Chardonnay has a lovely pale lemon hue and a hint of greenness in its rim. The nose leads you on with seductive aromas of tart nectarine, Meyer lemon and green melon. The palate is linear, with more pronounced citrus and stone fruit flavours that meld with toasted almond oak characters adding intensity to the fine, focused acid line.
2024 Pinot Noir
Since it was first released in 2015, the Spider Bill Pinot Noir stood out for its lithe structure. Clonal selection has also played a major role in the production of this lightly framed yet complex Pinot Noir. As a result, this has a Burgundian feel to it; the lean, sinewy kind that puts the drink in drinkability.
Winemaking
A mix of clones (114, 115, D5V12, MV6 and 777) was picked form Chapel Valley in Piccadilly and the Balhampton Vineyard in Balhannah. Each clone and parcel were fermented separately in small open top ferments (7 different ferments), including varying degrees of whole bunch (from 1 to 100%). Caps were gently plunged by hand twice daily to manage the warm ferment temperatures.
Tasting Note
It is light on its feet, yet it packs a punch. The nose echoes the clear pale ruby colour with beautiful red fruit characters, quintessentially Adelaide Hills. Tart raspberry and sour cherry characters dominate the palate. Hints of sweet spice characters mix with remarkably defined, soft tannins, and a striking acid line leading on a bright, juicy finish.
A match made in heaven with crispy skin duck and shallot tarte tatin.
2023 Pinot Noir ‘Chapel Valley’
The single vineyard ‘Chapel Valley’ Pinot offers a focused expression of Tarrant’s winemaking. Whole-bunch fermentation and considered oak maturation showcases elegance and savoury complexity.
Winemaking
The fruit was hand harvested and fermented with 30% whole bunch, bringing aromatic lift and a subtle savoury complexity to the wine while retaining the purity of the Adelaide Hills fruit. The wine was matured in oak, with 30% new oak contributing a touch more char, spice and phenolic structure without overwhelming the fruit.
Tasting Note
Red fruits and spice fill the palate, with bright, vibrant fruit framed by fine phenolic structure. There is a lovely savoury dimension beneath the fruit, with earthy, subtle spice notes adding depth and complexity. The finish lingers with a gentle savoury character, leaving the wine balanced, fresh and quietly compelling.
2024 Pinot Noir ‘Home Block’
Tarrant has long admired Pinot Noir for its elegance and expressive nuance. His Adelaide Hills interpretations capture the grape’s delicate perfume and textural complexity, producing wines that are both approachable and layered, with a subtle power beneath their finesse.
Winemaking
The fruit for the 2024 Home Block Pinot was sourced from select cool‑climate sites in the Adelaide Hills. Gentle handling and careful fermentation were employed to preserve aromatics and texture, with portions left on skins for subtle extraction. Maturation in seasoned oak lends structure without overshadowing the bright, red fruit core.
Tasting Note
This Pinot displays a bright ruby hue with lifted aromas of strawberry, cherry, and delicate florals. The palate is silky and focused, with red berry flavours framed by fine acid and a whisper of oak spice. It is an approachable, expressive Home Block Pinot, highlighting the charm and refinement of the variety in the Adelaide Hills.
2022 Dolcetto
The core message in the bottle is an invitation to try different things, which deserves to be answered enthusiastically. In a crowded wine scene, this wine stands out by the fact that the fruit is grown in the Adelaide Hills, which are much cooler than Dolcetto’s Italian home. As its Italian counterpart, this Dolcetto is best enjoyed now with classic tomato-based dishes or favourite mouth-watering antipasto items, like anchovies, olives, and salami.
Winemaking
The fruit was picked from the Yacca Paddock in Kuitpo, where the cool nights and warm days contribute to perfect ripening conditions. The whole berries were fermented in small open top fermenters, with gentle cap management. It was pressed off skins shortly after to manage the firm tannin profile.
Tasting Note
The Spider Bill Dolcetto is playful and plump, with ripe, luscious fruit that feels like silk on the palate – sweet cherry, black plum, raspberry jam, and cherry ripe chocolate mixed with fresh herb characters. The soft, moreish tannins are balanced by a lip-smacking acidity.
2025 Barberba
Tarrant has a deep appreciation for Barbera, understanding its capacity for vibrant fruit and lively acidity. His Adelaide Hills expressions reveal both charm and depth, crafting wines that are approachable yet nuanced, with a balance of energy and generosity.
Winemaking
The fruit comes from selected vineyards in the cool Adelaide Hills. Portions are handled gently to preserve bright red fruit character, with careful maceration and fermentation to enhance texture and aromatic lift. The wine was matured in seasoned oak to provide subtle structure while keeping the fruit at the forefront.
Tasting Note
This Barbera shows a bright, garnet-red hue and an inviting nose of cherries, raspberries, and a hint of spice. The palate is vibrant and juicy, with lively acid driving a clean, fresh finish. It is an approachable expression of Barbera, demonstrating both charm and drinkability without heavy tannins or overt oak influence.
2021 Nebbiolo
Tarrant is well versed in the art of making approachable Nebbiolo. Having experienced several vintages in its Piedmontese homeland, the variety holds no secrets from him. His Adelaide Hills iterations of Nebbiolo are just has captivating and gifted with a fruit of ethereal beauty and tannic precision.
Winemaking
The fruit came from Longview Vineyards at Macclesfield in the southern part of the Adelaide Hills. 50% was whole bunch fermented to enhance red fruit and floral characters. It was left on skins for 10 days and pressed off to old oak.
Tasting Note
This is a light expression of Nebbiolo’s character, reflecting Tarrant’s affinity for lithe and mineral wines, without the massive phenolic structure often seen in Nebbiolo from Piedmont.
2023 Grenache ‘Fi’s Block’
There aren’t many vines over 30-40 years in the Adelaide Hills, so the opportunity to draw from gnarly 70+ year old McLaren Vale Grenache, growing in deep sand, was irresistible.
Winemaking
Whole berries were fermented in open top fermenters and hand plunged twice daily. The wine was left on skins for 7-8 days and pressed directly to one old puncheon, where it remained for 9 months prior to bottling.
Tasting Note
The palate is generous with red fruits, amaro spice and a hint of orange peel. Only old oak was used to let the fruit shine. This is an exciting wine.
2022 Syrah
Longview’s Maccelsfield site, with its high-altitude windswept slopes, produces cool climate Syrah with a semi-skeletal frame and unlikely deep flavours. The low-yielding vines have reached the perfect level of maturity (25+ years) to produce fruit with complexity and breathtaking elegance known to the Spider Bill Syrah. Lamb cutlets are the way to go with it.
Winemaking
The fruit was whole bunch pressed (50%) and wild fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperature. The wine went through malolactic fermentation in 100% old French oak barrels, where it finally spent 9 months.
Tasting Note
It has a cheerful purple colour. The bright red cherry, raspberry and sweet star anise, lavender and peppery characters jump out of the glass. The palate is supple with dark and red berry fruit flavours gently flowing across. This is an extremely quaffable Syrah with understated tannins that leave a satisfying feel on the finish.