Riding Australia's New Wave with Chaffey Bros.

Every weekend, canny surfers grab their boards and head south from Adelaide to the beaches of the rugged Fleurieu Peninsula. But head North-East and to the Barossa and Eden Valleys and another kind of Bros. are making big waves of their own, crafting new and innovative wines from the gnarly vines of the region and a lineup of unexpected varietal blends.

From archetypal Barossa Old Vine Grenache and Shiraz to Eden Valley Riesling and innovative blends of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano, aromatic white blends and even a chillable red… because, why not? These are wines which challenge convention; these are definitely not your grandma’s wines!

Heritage runs thick in the Barossa, where some of the oldest vines date to the 1830s and dynastic winemaking families can be six or seven generations deep. But in the bright sun, amongst the old vines and old families, what began as a swell has become an award-winning New Wave in the form of Chaffey Bros. wines. As Theo Englela, one of the Bros., explains:

What excites us most is the opportunity to reinterpret Barossa classics while pushing boundaries with new styles…. The Barossa boasts some of the oldest vines in the world, and we strive to bring these stories to life in our wines.

The Pax Æterna really reflects this ethos. The Pax is old vine-Grenache (from 91-year-old vines from the sandy soils of Vine Vale) but made in a nouveau style, with 30% whole-bunch fermentation. Semi-carbonic esters give the wine a lively bright lift of candied red fruit that belies its darker brooding interior, making for a wine that is complex, thoughtful and very cool.

The Chaffey Bros., (brothers-in-law to be precise) Daniel Chaffey Hartwig & Theo Engela, describe themselves as part perfumiers; part historians; and part mad scientists, and are leading a charge of dynamic and innovative winemaking in the Barossa, breaking new ground, pushing boundaries and crafting wines for a new consumer of South Australian Wine.

The innovation starts from the soil up: In a region known for its long holdings of vineyard lands, Chaffey Bros. don’t own vineyards themselves, but partner with a small number of families growing grapes across the Barossa and Eden Valleys. This approach, closer to the negociant model seen in Burgundy, offers a supreme level of flexibility, and rather than working to make the best wines with fruit at hand, Daniel and Theo can select fruit (and sites) which offer the greatest potential to make the wines that match their ethos. It provides the freedom to explore unique varietals and the unique sub-regions of Valleys, with sites selected for the unique soils, elevations, aspects and microclimates that will add levels of depth and complexity to the wines.

Chaffey Bros. are fiercely proud of these soils, almost obsessively referencing the sites, and sometimes even the specific GPS coordinates of the vines on the finished bottles, and their partnerships with the local grape growing families are long-term. In the close-knit Barossa region, Chaffey Bros. work super-closely with their growers, calculating harvests to achieve the optimum ripeness and balance for their wines. As Theo explains,

We rely on the growers’ multi-generational insights into geology and likely outcome given seasonal idiosyncrasies to craft wines that reflect our vision. We are tasting every vineyard multiple times to determine the best picking moment, often more than once in a day when we’re getting close.

Winemaking is in the Chaffey blood, as is innovation.

While James Busby – who brought the first catalogue of vine cuttings to Australian in the 1830s – is often said to be ‘The Father of Australian Wine’, the incredible influence of two engineers – William (WB) and George Chaffey cannot be overestimated.

These Chaffey Brothers irrigated vast swathes of what is now New South Wales and South Australia with water from the Murray River, starting Australia on a journey to becoming the agricultural powerhouse that is today.

Founders in the truest sense, the ‘OG Chaffeys’ (as Theo and Daniel call them) established whole towns, and pioneered winemaking in Sunraysia (in the Murray Darling region), where they planted 150 acres and built a tin-roofed Chateau, and in the vast Riverland region. Vines thrived in these newly irrigated areas, eventually driving the wine-boom that brought Australian wine to the world (and certainly to my grandma’s dinner table!) in the 1970s and 80s.

The maverick OG Chaffeys, always on the look-out for quality sites for viticulture, also invested in land in what is now the Limestone Coast Zone of South Australia at Coonawarra.

The OG Chaffey story (and that of the Australian wine industry, perhaps) is one of ingenuity and innovation amidst a vast landscape with unparalleled wine-growing potential. Quite an act and a legacy to follow! But if the boys are feeling the pressure of this legacy, they don't show it. As Theo tells me,

We view the “OGs” as the original trailblazers, and while their legacy looms large, it pushes us to think beyond tradition. They were innovators after all! Our wines pay homage to their innovative spirit, blending history with modern winemaking techniques.

Indeed, some innovations at Chaffey Bros. almost fly in the face of the developments pioneered by their forebears. For example, today, the Bros. partner with dry-grown and low-irrigation vineyards to conserve water and resources in the vineyard.

Sustainable (Chaffey are SWA sustainable approved) and low-intervention, the wines of Chaffey Bros. are unfined, unfiltered, unadulterated, and uncommonly good… as well as being naturally vegan-friendly. We asked Theo to pick two of his favourites from the range and tell us a little about them.

Düfte Punkt 2023 (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Kerner)

Why It’s a Favorite: Düfte Punkt holds a special place as one of our first wines and embodies our passion for aromatic whites. It’s a field blend from Eden Valley that celebrates the vibrant flavours of Germanic varietals.

Winemaking: The grapes are co-fermented to enhance the blend’s seamless integration. Natural ferments, cool temperatures, and no fining agents preserve the delicate aromatics and texture. GPS coordinates on the label pinpoint the exact "aromatic point" in the vineyard.

Pax Æterna 2023 (Old Vine Grenache)

Why It’s a Favourite: This wine's youthful, vibrant character stands out as a nod to the “new wave” movement while showcasing the essence of Barossa’s heritage of old vines.

Winemaking: Grapes from 91 year old, low-yielding vines are handpicked and fermented with indigenous yeasts. This hands-off approach enhances texture and aromatic depth, making it a delightfully drinkable red.

With huge and well-deserved wins at the Decanter World Wine Awards – including a Best in Show for the Evangeline Shiraz! – under their belt, the New Wave wines of Chaffey are certainly getting their fair share of attention. So what does the future hold?

As Theo says, Chaffey Bros. will continue their laser focus on creating new wines – exploring emerging varietals and sub-regions to craft unique, small-batch releases; partnering with like-minded producers to champion the Barossa’s “new wave” movement; and (most importantly) enjoying the journey!