Bellevue Estate

Corey and Michelle Vandeleur's venture may be a small one, but it has been planned to the last degree, and backed by Corey's very impressive history in winemaking. While he has no formal qualifications, he was born and bred in McLaren Vale, and began as a cellar hand at Maglieri Winery in 1990, where he remained for the next seven years; next a vintage at Geyser Peak, in California; thence to South Africa; next three vintages in Bordeaux. A decade at Hardys Tintara followed before he created the Bellevue Estate label. However, he had looked to the future by planting 4ha of shiraz on his family's property - fronting the main street of McLaren Vale - in 1997, and is still the only person involved in the care of the vineyard. In 2007, declining prices for contract-grown grapes led to the decision to build a winery on the main street. In that same year they made their first vintage, selling most of the wine on the bulk market, but bottling 300 dozen for their own label (now increased to 1000 dozen, at an enticing price). The wine is made using typical small-batch processes with small open fermenters and minimum interference. -JAMES HALLIDAY