Powell & Son
Summary
Powell & Son is a boutique Barossa Valley producer founded in 2014 by father-son team Dave and Callum Powell, specializing in Shiraz from old-vine vineyards across both warm Barossa Valley floor and higher-elevation Eden Valley's granite soils. Their winemaking combines traditional methods like open concrete fermentation and basket pressing with minimal intervention techniques, rapidly establishing them as significant contributors to Australian fine wine while honoring regional heritage.
Heritage & Leadership
Powell & Son was established in 2014 in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, as a partnership between father and son winemakers Dave and Callum Powell. Dave Powell, who previously founded Torbreck Vintners in 1994 and departed in 2013, brought decades of experience working with Barossa's old vineyards to this new venture. The Powell family's connection to the Barossa region extends back to the 1980s when Dave first worked in the area, developing relationships with growers and gaining intimate knowledge of the region's distinctive terroirs. Callum, representing the next generation, contributes his own technical training and perspective to the family business. The partnership combines Dave's extensive experience with Callum's fresh approach, creating a winery that honors traditional methods while maintaining relevance in the contemporary wine landscape.
Vineyards & Wines
Powell & Son sources fruit from both the Barossa Valley and the higher-altitude Eden Valley, working with vineyards that showcase the distinct characteristics of these neighboring regions. Their vineyard portfolio includes several old-vine sites, with some Shiraz vines exceeding 100 years of age. The Steinert Vineyard in Eden Valley, planted in 1888 at approximately 400-450 meters above sea level, provides fruit for their flagship Shiraz. In the warmer Barossa Valley floor, they work with the Kraehe Vineyard in Marananga, home to century-old Shiraz vines planted in red-brown earth over clay. The portfolio spans both single-vineyard expressions and regional blends, focusing primarily on Shiraz, Grenache, and Mataro (Mourvèdre). The contrast between the cooler, granite-based soils of Eden Valley and the warmer, more clay-dominant soils of Barossa Valley allows Powell & Son to produce wines that reflect these geological and climatic differences.
Philosophy & Practice
Powell & Son adheres to traditional winemaking methods that emphasize minimal intervention and maximum expression of site. Their production techniques include open fermentation in concrete vats, basket pressing, and aging in large format French oak barrels. For their top-tier wines, they employ techniques such as whole bunch fermentation with native yeasts and extended maceration periods to extract depth and structure. The Powells' approach differentiates between their Barossa and Eden Valley fruit, with Eden Valley wines typically seeing longer aging in larger oak vessels to preserve the delicacy and aromatic qualities associated with higher-altitude vineyards. Their winemaking philosophy centers on allowing the distinctive characteristics of old vines and specific vineyard sites to emerge in the finished wines, with careful attention to picking decisions based on flavor development rather than solely on analytical measurements. This approach results in wines that reflect both the heritage of Barossa winemaking traditions and the specific attributes of individual vineyard sites.