Pillar Box by Henry’s Drive Vignerons was founded in 1992 by Kim Longbottom and her late husband Mark in Padthaway, South Australia. Pillar Box is named after the once ubiquitous, Australian red postal box that used to dot the Australian landscape. The Padthaway estate vineyard has different soils that range from red loam to black loam to deep sand over limestone. The winemaking team is headed by Renae Hirsch with the support of Kim Jackson as consulting winemaker. Renae brings over a decade of experience, having held winemaking positions in France, Germany, the United States and Australia. 500 acres are planted to Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho.

Tasting notes

Aromas of dark berry fruits merge with peppery notes, toasted spice and hints of musk and cedar. The palate shows opulent ripe fruit and dark chocolate as well as a hint of spearmint. The wine has an elegant soft texture with fine tannins that carries the fruit through to its lingering finish.

Wine maker notes

The first Pillar Box was erected in Australia after thhe introduction of postage stamps in the 1850’s. Several of these elaborately designed receivers still exist as stoic reminders of a time when beauty could be found in the most mundane – even in the posting of one’s letters. Awash with fruit and flavours the Pillar Box Red combines Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot into a wine which, in its first vintage, Robert Parker dubbed "one of the great wine bargains of the world”. Beautiful but definitely not mundane. Pillar Box Red has a dark colour and a vibrant purple hue, with aromas of fresh blueberry fruit, liquorice, dried mint and cinnamon oak undertones. The palate is dense and juicy, with flavours of fresh blackcurrant and herry combined with aniseed, dried thyme and mocha oak characters. The wine is rich and full bodied, well balanced and seamless with soft, persistent tannins

Technical notes

(68% Shiraz/25% Cabernet Sauvignon/ 7% Merlot). Estate fruit was aged in French (75%) and American (25%) oak.