Turkey Flat

Turkey Flat is more than just a vineyard and home of the best Barossa wines, it is a family business that forms a vital part of the region’s rich cultural history and heritage. It was here, on the banks of Tanunda Creek where bush turkeys once roamed, that pioneer Silesian settler Johann Friedrich August Fiedler planted the first Shiraz vines in 1847. His vines flourished and the land – Section One, in the Hundred of Moorooroo – was bought in 1865 by Gottlieb Ernst Schulz, a successful butcher who established a thriving retail business among the vines.

Butchering developed into dairying, but the vineyards were always kept, until Peter, a fourth generation Schulz, and his wife, Christie, made the transition from grape growing to winemaking. They transformed the historic bluestone butchers shop into the cellar door and heart of their Turkey Flat wine business, and made sure that the vines that Fiedler planted so long ago, now gnarled and twisted, are still a vital part of the process.

The Turkey Flat vineyards and winery are now situated on the historic Section One property in the centre of the Barossa. The Schulz family became owners of the Turkey Flat property in around 1865 and while they continued to tend the ancient vineyard, they also developed a thriving butchers business. The sensitively restored bluestone butchers shop is now the wine sales and private tasting room referred as 'The Butcher's Block Room' for the company.

The Vineyards

Turkey Flat wines are made from five individual vineyard estates, all owned by Peter and Christie Schulz. The original Section One vineyard has the Shiraz, Grenache and small parcels of Mourvedre, Rousanne and Viognier. The highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on the banks of the Bethany Creek in a small picturesque vineyard surrounded by ancient gum trees. The famous Rosé is made from the Menge Road estate – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Dolcetto vines are grown specifically for this purpose. The “Butchers Block” blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre is sourced from the Stonewell estate. This vineyard is planted on a unique combination of red-brown earth soils (terra rosa) on a unique underlying limestone base. The Marsanne plant ings are also at Stonewell.

In June 2007 Peter and Christie purchased the Ebenezer Vineyard, located in the northern Barossa Valley consisting of a rare 30 acres of dry grown vines. Planted in 1975 by the Mattschoss family this Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and bush vine Grenache vineyard, is situated in the elevated northern extremity of the Barossa and is only 600 metres from the famous Penfold's block 53B, grapes from which are used in the rare Bin 60A. Turkey Flat now has vineyards spread over the major appellations of Bethany, Stonewell and Ebenezer and they are looking forward to this new vineyard making a significant contribution to all of their red wines in the future.

Most of the vineyards survive only on natural rainfall, and where supplementary water is applied this is done so in very small amounts, and only to maintain healthy leaves and not to increase production. Vineyard yields vary from 10 tonne/hectare for Rosé production to 2 tonne/hectare for the Shiraz. Not only is Turkey Flat water conscientious but over the past few years the team have been working towards becoming Certified Organic.

All of the Turkey Flat wines are made in the Bethany Road winery using traditional open fermenters. The winemaking processes include cap plunging, cold maceration, submerged cap fermentation and “pumping over”. Barrel fermentation is followed by maturation in new and seasoned French oak hogsheads and barriques. Climate controlled barrel hall and bottling on the estate further enhances the quality and delicacy of the wines.

TURKEY FLAT - Butchers Block Red 2007


ABV: 14.5%
Grape Type: 58% Shiraz, 21% Grenache and 21% Mourvédre.
Colour: Deep ruby red.
Nose: Dark plum and cherry, violets & clove.
Palate: Juicy sweet blackcurrants with some gaminess, velvety tannins & crisp acidity.

On Special Offer - Was £11.22 - Now £9.69

TURKEY FLAT - Butchers Block White 2007

ABV: 13.5%
Grape Type: 82% Marsanne and 18% Viognier.
Colour: Pale straw with lime hues.
Nose: Lemon and barley sugar, fresh apricots, and citrus peel with lifted aromas of orange blossom with nutmeg and toasted barrel nuances.
Palate: A crisp, minerally white with flavours of ripe white stone fruits, citrus and grapefruit are enhanced from partial barrel fermentation in French oak hogsheads.

On Special Offer - Was £11.22 - Now £9.69

TURKEY FLAT - Cabernet Sauvignon 2005


ABV: 14%
Grape Type: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Colour: Deep garnet red.
Nose: A full-bodied ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with an elegant and fragrant bouquet featuring classic Cabernet aromas of cassis, chocolate, mint and red currants.
Palate: Intense and full-bodied with sweet ripe berry fruits, plums, cedar, dark chocolate flavours with gentle oak support and a lingering fine tannin finish.

On Special Offer - Was £19.65 - Now £17.09

TURKEY FLAT - Grenache Noir 2005


ABV: 15%
Grape Type: 100% Grenache.
Colour: Deep plum to black cherry red.
Nose: Dark cherry, stewed plum and spice.
Palate: Full with cherry chocolate and cassis flavours, overlain with warmth and peppery spices.

On Special Offer - Was £13.40 - Now £11.67

TURKEY FLAT - Mourvedre 2006


ABV: 14.5%
Grape Type: 100% Mourvedre.
Colour: Deep cherry red.
Nose: Plum, sweet spice and leather.
Palate: Rich, intense, flavours of red berry fruits, with a mineral flinty finish.

On Special Offer - Was £15.34 - Now £13.39

TURKEY FLAT - Shiraz 2006


ABV: 14.5%
Grape Type: 100% Shiraz.
Colour: Deep purple.
Nose: Bitter cherries and prunes and 'secondary aromas' of Christmas cake/plum pudding, mocha, and leather/suede.
Palate: Plums, red fruits and spice.

On Special Offer - Was £21.25 - Now £18.53

TURKEY FLAT - Rose 2007


ABV: 12.5%
Grape Type: 64% Grenache, 19% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Dolcetto.
Colour: Ruby/rose petal pink.
Nose: Sweet perfumed red fruits.
Palate: Upfront red berries with soft tannins and a crisp, dry balanced finish.

On Special Offer - Was £10.40 - Now £9.09

TURKEY FLAT - Sparkling Shiraz NV

ABV: 13%
Grape Type: 100% Shiraz.
Colour: Very ruby red.
Nose: Plum, blackberry, blueberry, chocolate and earth.
Palate: Rich and concentrated with flavours of plums, cherry & wood spice, with a long, fine tannin finish.

On Special Offer - Was £21.79 - Now £18.89