We’ve heard how the Coonawarra vignerons are crowing over the quality of the 1999 vintage, but McWilliams’ Chief Winemaker Jim Brayne reckons he’s something even more special up his sleeve. It was indeed a record 1,000 tonne vintage at Barwang in NSW’s emergent Hilltops area, but Brayne is ‘absolutely delighted’ with the material he has in tank and barrel, which he described as ‘better than from Coonawarra’. With some newly reworked old vine vineyards on the Brands properties at his disposal, that’s quite a big call.
