Hill-Smith Family Estates, South Australia
Hill-Smith Family Estates, South Australia
For 175 years and across six generations, the Hill-Smith Family has been planting vineyards and crafting quality wine. Each generation has been pioneering and innovative, leading the business to where it is today; a winemaker integrated through vine cultivation, wine growing, wine making and distribution of fine wine.
Known today as Hill-Smith Family Estates (HSFE), the company has evolved from a single brand at Yalumba to a family of wine brands and businesses, made of many parts, linked by their commitment to and enjoyment of wine. They pride themselves on their family heritage and connection to people, but above all the burning desire to remain a sustainable and successful family-owned wine business for generations to come.
Heritage vines embody the essence of HSFE’s winemaking legacy, to value authenticity and diversity in wine above all else.
While most of the world’s wine regions faced the devastating plague of phylloxera between 1860 to the 1920s – resulting in the loss of many of the world’s oldest vines – South Australia was lucky to avoid phylloxera and as a result, the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley stand as remarkable sanctuaries of old vines.
Hill-Smith Family Estates therefore declare their role as caretakers and protectors of the world’s ancient vines, preserving varietal and clonal variation in the wine world, with respect for the rich history and profound expression of terroir such vine yield. Without respect for the land and careful environmental management, old vines will not survive.
When expertly cultivated, ancient vines yield wines of unrivalled intensity, complexity, and flavour. They possess an intangible yet ethereal vitality, a reflection of their longstanding adaptation to their surroundings. They offer a distinct sense of place and tell the story of a family winemaking tradition. These wines transcend the ordinary, bearing a richness of flavour, profound symbolism, and an undeniable connection to history.
HSFEs believe it is their responsibility to protect and nurture these precious vines, ensuring a healthy balance between the environment and the natural landscape, and preserving a legacy for future generations that ensures that the wine world continues to thrive with authenticity and distinction.
In Australia, there was no definition to prescribe what constitutes an ‘old vine’. This meant the term ‘old vine’ was left open to interpretation and misleading claims. This is why, in 2007, Hill-Smith Family Estates created the Old Vine Charter, dedicated to the recognition, preservation and promotion of their treasured old vines. It was the Hill-Smith family's leadership that inspired the Barossa wine community to endorse this classification and evolve the Charter to become Barossa Australia's Old Vine Charter - a reference point for all winemakers and grape growers in classifying old vines.
HSFE Ambassadors:
Robert Hill-Smith - Proprietor and Fifth Generation
Jessica Hill-Smith - Sixth Generation
Lucy Hill-Smith - Sixth Generation
Louisa Rose - Head of Sustainability and Fine Wine Ambassador, previously Head of Winemaking at HSFE
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