With the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion results just released, we are thrilled to maintain our 5-star underlined status. This means we are considered an outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity. The red underline means we have a long track record of excellence, having held a 5-star rating continuously for 10 years or more. According to the Wine Companion, we are truly the best of the best!
PLUS, a grand total of FIVE of our Semillons made it into the Top Rated Semillon category which is a massive achievement for our little wine brand!
The De Iuliis family acquired a property at Lovedale in ’86 and planted 18ha of vines in ’90, selling the grapes from the first few vintages to Tyrrell’s but retaining increasing amounts for release under the De Iuliis label. In ’99 the land on Broke Road was purchased and a winery and cellar door were built prior to the ’00 vintage. In ’11 De Iuliis purchased 12ha of the long-established Steven vineyard in Pokolbin. Winemaker Michael De Iuliis completed postgraduate studies in oenology at the Roseworthy campus of the University of Adelaide and was a Len Evans Tutorial scholar. He has lifted the quality of the wines into the highest echelon. – James Halliday
2021 Steven Vineyard Shiraz
96 Points
Excellent bright crimson-purple colour heralds a most attractive wine from the estate-owned Steven vineyard. Red cherry is the cornerstone of the bouquet and palate alike. Typical Hunter shiraz, only medium bodied, but with decades to run for those able to keep their hands off it.
James Halliday
2018 Aged Release Semillon
96 Points
The fruit came from the family vineyard, hand picked and whole-bunch pressed for a slow, cool ferment. The bouquet is complexed with hints of honey and beeswax, the palate building on that as it enters the first stage of maturity with Meyer lemon, honeycomb and spice. Utterly seductive, but has decades of life left in the tank.
James Halliday
2019 The Garden Vineyard Semillon
96 Points
Ready to drink now with an engaging mix of freshness and aged characters. A lovely acid core defines the fruit flavours; however, the overall vibe of the wine is one of softness and delicacy. There are subtle smoky/nutty tones on the nose and palate with moderate length. Further cellaring is not required. Open and enjoy. Fabulous for the price.
Toni Paterson MW
2023 Wilderness Road Vineyard Semillon
96 Points
This acclaimed vineyard was planted in the ’80s on the sandy flats of Black Creek. High-toned lemongrass and citrus zest with a touch of spring flowers. Excellent intensity and purity, with concentrated ripe-lemon flavours. It is a beautifully refined wine with excellent flavour and a long line of fine acidity. The palate is tightly coiled right now, though it will grow with time. Good cellaring potential. It is a more linear wine than the Garden Vineyard.
Toni Paterson MW
2023 Estate Semillon
95 Points
The moody Hunter weather threatened, but the rain stopped, the soil allowed harvesters onto the vines, and the quality of this super-expressive lemon, apple and lanolin fruit had its life to live, and transformed itself from chrysalis to resplendent butterfly.
James Halliday
2022 LDR Vineyard Shiraz
95 Points
Beautiful fruit clarity with high-toned cherry notes. The palate has excellent depth, nestled within a medium-weight frame, with bright acidity and good flavour concentration. It is a youthful, spirited wine that holds one’s interest and displays the character of the vintage and vineyard with its focused fruit fragrance. I expect it to deepen and become more complex over time.
Toni Paterson MW
2023 The Garden Vineyard Semillon
95 Points
The garden vineyard is located within the sandy creek flats of their Steven Vineyard in central Pokolbin. This is an intensely flavoured semillon with piercing lemon tart and bright quince flavours underpinned by a defined line of citrusy acidity. The wine has incredible vitality and intensity. Although it is beautiful now, it also has the capacity for cellaring.
Toni Paterson MW
