Sven Joschke
Barossa Valley, South Australia
Heavily influenced by new-wave European styles - especially the crisp reds and whites of the Jura where he worked alongside Marin Fumey of Fumey-Chatelain - these are contemporary (predominantly) Barossa bottling of real elegance. Much of Sven’s deft touch can also be attributed to his vintages alongside Pete Schell (Spinifex) and Jason Schwarz (Schwarz Wine Co) where he learnt that Barossa does not necessarily need to be synonymous with high extraction or alcohol.
Not feeling the need to confine his range to one region, in true negociant style Sven seeks fruit from the cooler Adelaide Hills for his electric Chardonnay, Langhorne Creek for one of Australia’s finest and most sought-after Sangioveses, and the Jura itself for a very special oxidative white in some vintages. These, along with a swathe of yet-to-be-announced barrel projects form a compelling and exciting new opportunity for Vinify.
Assisted by his friend turned business partner, ex Movida head somm Andrew Marshall who lends more than just a stylistic hand, Sven and his label are simply the real deal.
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SA, VIC, NSW & TAS
2023 Chardonnay Pet Nat
After first playing around with Chardonnay from the Barossa in V21 as a test run, Sven had to put it into a Pet Nat. It shows linear acidity and minerality with classic Chardonnay depth.
Winemaking
Fruit was picked at 10.9 baumé, super low pH. It was immediately bag pressed and chilled to facilitate settling of solids. It was fermented in tank at controlled temperature, with a component of non-fermented juice kept separate for post fermentation dosage. Juice was then added back to the base wine once settled, bottled and allowed to ferment in bottle. No additions, fining or sulphites, just the juice.
Tasting Notes
This pops with limonata citrus freshness, yellow grapefruit and green apple. Not a complex wine, this is nevertheless a very clean Pet Nat, pithy and leesy in the right places and a fresh whip of acid to finish.
2025 Chardonnay ‘La Justina’
A return to one of Sven’s favourite Chardonnay sites at Balhannah, in central Adelaide Hills, sitting at an elevation of 340m. 55% 76 clone and 45% 95 clone grown on sandstone, siltstone and shale soils, all under organic practices. Grown by Michael Sawyer at the Peacock Vineyard on the south-western side of Oakbank and named for Justina, a friend of the project whose love of elegant yet opulent Chardonnay inspired this release, bold, charismatic, and generous in style.
Winemaking
Fruit handpicked and direct pressed. Cold settled before being racked to 3rd and 4th use puncheons along with a 600L rotatable Taransaud for barrel fermentation. Lees stirring employed sparingly, as the fruit expressed floral and delicate notes we didn’t want to disrupt. Matured on lees for approximately 11 months.
Tasting Notes
Stone fruit driven with nectarine and peach at the core, layered with integrated oak. Lush, generous and textural, with a balanced, refined finish.
2024 Fume Blanc ‘La Gabriella’
A warmer ripening season suited this Sauvignon Blanc site, giving Sven the fruit weight and concentration to take the variety in a more textural, quietly worked direction. La Gabriella is a Fumé-style Sauvignon that leaves the overt tropical and grassy characters behind, instead leaning into oak, lees and the natural richness of the fruit. It sits comfortably within Sven’s broader approach of treating Barossa and South Australian varieties with a more restrained, European sensibility.
Winemaking
The fruit was picked with enough natural concentration to support 100% barrel fermentation, then directly pressed with no skin contact before being cold settled overnight. The clear juice was racked to barrel and fermented entirely in oak, allowing the fruit to build texture and breadth without introducing overtly oxidative or phenolic characters.
Lees work was deliberately restrained. There was no batonnage, keeping the palate tight and focused, with only the fine lees that settled naturally at the bottom of the barrels contributing additional texture and savoury complexity. The result is less about obvious oak flavour and more about the way barrel fermentation gives Sauvignon Blanc a broader, more layered shape.
Tasting Notes
Golden honey, marmalade and kaffir lime sit alongside ripe citrus, with a subtle flinty, savoury edge from the oak and lees. Rich and textural without becoming heavy, the palate carries the generosity of the warmer vintage with a clean line of acidity through the finish. A more serious, quietly complex take on Sauvignon Blanc.
2023 Viognier ‘La Elizabeth’
This wine is destined for cheese and charcuterie hour. The fruit comes from the Yetti on the Valley floor. Sven gets first dibs on this one and therefore, this is the first pick of the season. Super low V24 yields meant concentration is high. The fruit was picked at a tender baumé of 11, which kept the acid tight.
Winemaking
Taking note of what worked from previous years and keeping things experimental, we pulled the fruit off earlier. The fruit was de-stemmed, pressed, settled and partially barrel fermented in second use oak, and the remaining in tank. It had no lees work, but elements of brioche’ie fine lees come through in the finished wine.
Tasting Notes
A variety from another era, but a wine that’s right up with the now. Yes, every typical varietal note applies, apricot, yoghurt, orange candies and marmalade, but it carries a tension and perkiness about it. Full bodied and a touch oily, the texture is carried by a frame of grippy tannins and nimble acidity.
2026 Semillon / Muscat à Petits Blanc / Chardonnay ‘L’Ambre’
A gateway into the wild world of amber wines, L’Ambre brings together Semillon, Muscat à Petits Blanc and Chardonnay in a distinctly Barossa expression of texture, perfume and freshness. The Semillon leads with citrus and lime, while Muscat brings its round, aromatic presence and Chardonnay adds fruit, phenolics and shape. Fresh but structured, with bergamot, tea-like characters and a satisfying chew.
Winemaking
The Semillon is Madeira clone from the sandy soils of the Barossa Valley floor, organically farmed. The Muscat à Petits Blanc comes from a site managed by the Millon crew at approximately 450m elevation, conventionally farmed with an emphasis on organic practices. The 22-year-old Bernard 95 clone Chardonnay is planted over loam soils and carefully farmed with integrated pest management, under-vine slashing and mulching to maintain healthy soils and organic matter.
The Semillon was destemmed, wild fermented on skins and macerated for two months before pressing, settling and racking to neutral French oak and stainless steel. The Muscat was destemmed and cold soaked for two days before pressing, cold settling overnight and wild fermentation to dryness, followed by maturation in neutral French oak and stainless steel.
A component of La Lulu Chardonnay was held back for the blend, picked and temperature-controlled wild fermented on skins for two weeks. The aim was to build additional fruit and phenolic structure without overwhelming the aromatic contribution of the Semillon and Muscat. After pressing and settling, the Chardonnay was racked to 100% neutral French oak.
Tasting Notes
Citrus, bergamot and tea lead into mango, pawpaw and a touch of papaya. The palate is fresh and aromatic but carries plenty of texture, with gentle acidity, chewy tannins and a savoury phenolic edge. A little wild, a little juicy and refreshingly clean.
2026 Semillon Pinot Noir Pet Nat Rosé
Bright, lightly sparkling rosé built around an unlikely combination of Barossa Semillon and Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. The Semillon brings citrus and freshness, while Pinot Noir supplies the pink fruit and aromatic lift. Silky bubbles, low-fuss drinking and plenty of refreshment make this one destined for the beach.
Winemaking
The Semillon is Madeira clone, sourced from organically farmed vines on sandy soils on the Barossa Valley floor. The Pinot Noir is clone 777 from Kaesler in Gumeracha, farmed using organic principles in the shadow of the Big Rocking Horse.
The Semillon was the first fruit picked for vintage 2026. Grapes were pressed and the juice cold settled overnight before a three-week wild fermentation under temperature control. The wine was then racked and blended with Pinot Noir before cold stabilisation. Frozen unfermented juice was retained for the secondary fermentation, with the blend subsequently bottled and capped to capture its natural fizz.
Tasting Notes
Bright raspberry and pink fruit meet lime and citrus, with silky bubbles and a fresh, lightly juicy palate. Crisp and refreshing, with just enough texture to keep things interesting. One for the beach.
2025 Rosé ‘La Adeline’
A structured, textural rosé from five carefully selected Stockwell sites, all within walking distance of one another on the Barossa’s sandy soils. Mataro brings structure, dried herbs and complexity, while lean-picked Grenache drives the aromatics and acidity. Cinsault rounds out the palate with texture and weight, making for a rosé that is refined without losing its savoury edge.
Winemaking
The blend is 59% Mataro, 35% Grenache and 6% Cinsault. The Grenache is organically farmed, while the Cinsault and Mataro are farmed using natural sequent farming practices. The vines average around 30 years old.
Each parcel was hand picked and processed separately, with the approach tailored to the fruit. Mataro was picked riper to build structure, floral dried herbs and complexity, while the Grenache was picked earlier, generally below 11 baumé, to preserve acidity, lift the aromatics and avoid the typical strawberries-and-cream character. Cinsault provides additional mouthfeel and weight.
After destemming, all fruit was immediately pressed and cold settled overnight. The parcels were then fermented separately, partly in barrel and partly in tank, using wild yeast and full malolactic fermentation, with temperature carefully controlled throughout. Following settling, the components were racked and gravity fed back into barrel and tank for six months’ maturation. The wine was cold stabilised before bottling with minimal sulphur, unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Notes
Florally lifted, with guava, Nashi pear and passionfruit pith alongside watermelon and dried Provençal herbs. The palate is fresh and finely textured, with gentle phenolic grip, savoury complexity and plenty of length. Structured enough to have something to say, but still very much a rosé.
2026 Light Red ‘La Rouge Clair’
Literally “light red”, La Rouge Clair reimagines Barossa Shiraz as bright, energetic and refreshingly drinkable. Made from early-picked Shiraz, it trades weight and ripeness for lift, texture and fruit purity, with plenty of acid drive and just enough oak to give the wine shape.
Winemaking
Shiraz clone 1127 from 19-year-old vines planted over loam soils in the Barossa Valley. The vineyard is conventionally farmed with an emphasis on integrated pest management, under-vine slashing and mulching to maintain healthy, organic-rich soils.
Picked at 11 baumé, the fruit was destemmed and cold soaked for a couple of hours before pressing and cold settling. The juice was fermented in stainless steel before undergoing malolactic fermentation. Post-malo, 50% was put over dried Das Klaus skins before pressing, while the remaining 50% was soaked on dried Pinot Noir skins for two days. Following further settling, the wine was racked to 100% neutral French oak hogsheads for maturation.
Tasting Notes
Bright and electric, with raspberry, blue fruit and sour cherry lifted by lively acidity. The palate is refined and textural, with fine tannins, impressive length and a subtle lick of oak. No red jam, no high-octane fruit, just a fresh, finely tuned expression of Barossa Shiraz that belongs in the fridge.
2024 Shiraz / Grenache / Mataro 'Le Rupert’
Le Rupert takes its name from the vineyard owners’ son, who arrived on the scene just as the first parcel of fruit was picked from the reworked Shiraz block. After four years of renewal—removing eutypa-ridden cordons and re-establishing fresh wood and spur positions—the fruit was finally where it needed to be. Each parcel was handpicked at optimum ripeness, destemmed and fermented naturally before being pressed and matured.
Winemaking
Shiraz 50% / Grenache 29% / Mataro 21%. Ferments were kept separate, with 60% of the wine matured in neutral French oak for 16 months. Parcels were blended post élevage to highlight the strengths of each variety.
Tasting Notes
Shiraz drives fruit density and spice, Grenache layers in vibrant raspberry and lift, while Mataro rounds out the blend with dark savoury fruit and earthy depth. A supple, balanced Barossa red with energy and persistence.
2025 Sangiovese 'La Eleanore’
The inspiration for this wine comes from a dear friend of Drew’s, Eleanore—an Italian fine wine purveyor at Maeve Wine Bar in Brisbane, who first backed the Sangiovese project in 2019. With her name on the label, this wine continues that journey. Langhorne Creek fared well in this vintage, avoiding the extreme heat and drought seen in the Barossa. Fruit was harvested later in the season, with an increased focus on oak integration and parcel separation to capture freshness and lift.
Winemaking
The fruit comes from a single vineyard of 27-year-old Sangiovese vines planted on sandy loam over clay. Farming is conventional, though with growing emphasis on organic principles. Grapes were de-stemmed and fermented in separate parcels using cooling facilities, then pressed when dry. The wine was matured for six months in a mix of 65% neutral oak and stainless steel.
Tasting Notes
The site consistently delivers bright fruit with classic chalky tannins. This release shows glazed cherry, blueberry and blue fruits layered with spice, texture and length. Beaujolais Nouveau–inspired vibrancy meets rustic Italian edges, with dusty, terracotta-like tannins giving structure to a young, fresh, and lively style.
2024 Pinot Noir ‘Le Papounet’
Fruit was sourced from Kaesler’s vineyard in Gumeracha, with 2024 delivering an outstanding season for Hills Pinot—marked by depth, colour, and fine, silky tannins. Handpicked and handled gently to preserve site character, the wine balances vibrant fruit with subtle oak influence.
Winemaking
Fruit was fermented dry on skins with limited pump overs before being pressed and settled in stainless steel. The wine was then racked to four-year-old ex-white barrels, offering refined oak support without tightening wood astringency.
Tasting Notes
Dark cherry and cool-climate spice lead the aromatics, with a deeply fleshy mid-palate of aniseed and cherry fruit weight. Fine, sweet-and-sour tannins drive a long finish. Elegant yet concentrated, ideal with confit duck, duck-fat potatoes, or rich, oozing cheese.
2025 Mataro ‘O’Babis’
Crafted to showcase the juicy fruit and unforced charm of this rustic variety. Handpicked and fermented wild on whole berries, the wine balances dark fruit depth with spice and freshness.
Winemaking
Fermentation ran for 15 days on skins before pressing to a mix of neutral oak and stainless steel. The approach was kept simple and hands-off, designed to let the vineyard and vintage character shine.
Tasting Notes
Brightly fruited and supple, with dark berry drive, spice lift, and a flowing, easy charm. Juicy and moreish, carrying both freshness and depth in equal measure.
2023 Shiraz ‘Das Klaus’
A lean and approachable Barossa Valley Shiraz. Depth and intensity without over-extraction.
Winemaking
The fruit was sourced from Tommy Schiller’s 25+ year old vines in the Barossa Valley. 100% destemmed berries were fermented in stainless steel tank with minimal pump overs and punch downs. Free run was racked at 3 baumé straight to 2 French oak barrels for barrel fermentation, one brand new. Skins were pressed straight to tank and then racked off fine, and lees from the malolactic fermentation were racked off post ferment. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulphur at bottling.
Tasting Notes
A Shiraz of real presence and composure, this is full of the black cherry and blackberry fruits that are a signature of old vine Barossa Shiraz, with Sven’s signature elegance. Not just fruit but licorice, cracked black pepper, game meats and savouriness. A lifted palate with a sturdy frame of acid and tannin. Barossa with more than a hint of the Rhone.
2023 Fortified Syrah ‘V.S.V.P’ 500mL
Taking inspiration from our Portuguese friends, here’s our Barossa take on Vintage Port — affectionately dubbed Very Special Vintage Port.
Winemaking
Early-picked Syrah was spread across three nally bins and foot-stomped twice daily to extract maximum colour and tannin. While we didn’t adopt the traditional lagar approach, Motley Crüe kept the rhythm of the stomp. Fermentation was arrested at 3 baumé with the addition of aged brandy spirit, leaving 52g/L residual sugar. The must was pressed to tank, settled, and bottled shortly after with no fining, filtration, or oak. The result is a complex interplay of savoury and sweet, with liquorice spice, lavender, and violet lift.
Tasting Notes
As the Portuguese do, tuck a bottle away for your offspring’s 21st birthday — but once opened, enjoy it soon after. This is a delicate wine, not a tawny. Otherwise, open it now with a wedge of stinky blue.
