Bancroft Wines announces exclusive partnership with Seppeltsfield

Effective on 1st November 2018, Bancroft Wines is proud to announce their appointment as the UK agents for Seppeltsfield, one of the Barossa Valley’s most iconic estates. Over its 167-year history, Seppeltsfield has built its reputation on the production of exceptional fortified wines and remains the only winery in the world to release a 100-year old, single vintage wine each year.

Established in 1851 by Joseph Seppelt, the winery flourished in the 20th century as part of the Seppelt family’s expanding interests in the liquor industry, which grew to include vineyards and wineries across various Australian regions. The Seppelts maintained ownership until 1985, when the winery entered a period of corporate ownership which lasted until 2007. Seppeltsfield is now owned by Warren Randall - a qualified viticulturist and winemaker who worked for the Seppelt family during the 1980s. Randall has led a Seppeltsfield renaissance by developing its vineyard holdings on the ‘Western Ridge’ of the Barossa Valley and restoring the winery’s heritage listed buildings, including the prized 1888 Gravity Cellar.

Despite its substantial vineyard ownership, Seppeltsfield has only ever offered their still wines from its cellar door in the Barossa. Led by winemakers Fiona Donald and Matthew Pick, they have recently released a range of Barossa still wines to the trade, for which Bancroft Wines will be exclusive agents in the UK. The range includes an Eden Valley Riesling

from the estate’s coolest and highest elevation vineyard, an unoaked Grenache from its prized bush vine Great Terraced Vineyard and a Shiraz from the Barossa’s Western ridge. Bancroft Wines will also be offering a selection of bottlings from Seppeltsfield’s Para Tawny Collection, as well as rare vintage antiquities from the estate’s Centennial Collection. 

Bancroft Wines’ CEO Jon Worsley comments:

“Seppeltsfield has been instrumental in shaping the history of the Australian wine industry, and it is an honour to be relaunching their wines in the UK market at such a pivotal moment in the estate’s history. Their fortified wines are true treasures of the wine world, and their focus on quality and authenticity has translated seamlessly into their fantastic new range of still wines. They are the perfect partners for Bancroft and we look forward to working together for many years to come”.

Chad Elson, General Manager Sales & Marketing of Seppeltsfield, comments:

“The UK market played a significant role in the early success of Seppeltsfield - the era of Imperial Preference particularly encouraging the estate’s rise as a supplier of choice for Brandy, Tawny, spirits and liqueurs. Coupled with this historical link, Bancroft’s on-trade and independent retail focus aligns perfectly with our desire to bring Seppeltsfield back to select

markets through quality distribution”.

Bancroft Wines announces exclusive partnership with Skillogalee

Effective November 1^st, Bancroft Wines is proud to announce their appointment as the exclusive UK agents for Skillogalee, a family-owned and operated winery located in the heart of the Clare Valley in South Australia. Known for the exceptional quality of their red and white wines, Skillogalee is widely recognised as one of Clare Valley’s top estatespracticed sustainable methodologies in the vineyard and the winery for many years.”

The original Skillogalee vineyards were planted in the early 1970’s on stony soils and steep, eastern facing slopes at almost 500 metres above sea level. The first wines were released in 1976 and quickly gained acclaim: the 1978 Dry Riesling won major trophies at the Adelaide Wine Show and the National Wine Show, putting Skillogalee firmly on the Australian winemaking map.

Aware of the exceptional quality of the vineyards and their potential to produce world-class wines, current owners David and Diana Palmer acquired the property in 1989. In 2002 they purchased next-door neighbour Waninga Vineyards, with 30 hectares of 30-year-old vines, bringing the size of the estate to 60 hectares. While production increased, the Palmers have taken great care to maintain the quality and characteristic style of the wines.

Although they eschew organic and biodynamic certification, sustainability is a top priority at Skillogalee, and every effort is taken to ensure the best quality grapes are harvested each year. The vines are hand-pruned and the fruit is mainly hand-picked, with yields kept extremely low. All wines are produced exclusively from estate-owned vineyards.

Bancroft Wines’ CEO Jon Worsley comments:

“We are thrilled to add Skillogalee to the Bancroft Wines’ portfolio- our first Clare Valley producer. These fantastic wines are the product of David and Diana Palmer’s tireless dedication to their craft. Through careful vineyard work and small-batch winemaking, they let their grapes speak honestly of the place and soils in which they are grown. Their focus on family, quality and sustainability make them the perfect partners for Bancroft”.

David Palmer, Co-Owner of Skillogalee, comments:

“After 25 years of exporting our wines to the UK we are delighted announce our new partnership with Bancroft Wines. Skillogalee is a small family-owned and operated wine company that has practiced sustainable methodologies in the vineyard and the winery for many years.  As such we believe we will fit comfortably into the model that Bancroft has adopted for the expansion of its Australian portfolio. We look forward working with the new team, continuing to build the Skillogalee brand identity as a producer of quality Clare Valley wines and to becoming a significant part of the Bancroft story”.

Bancroft team summer drinks!

We all enjoyed a brilliant evening at the beautiful Percy & Founders. We had a tongue-in-cheek awards ceremony and a pub quiz, rounded off by some karaoke - team bonding at its best!

Bancroft Wines announces exclusive partnership with Brokenwood

Bancroft Wines is proud to announce their appointment as the exclusive UK agents for Australia’s revered Brokenwood Wines.

Founded in 1970 as a hobby venture by three Sydney-based solicitors, Tony Albert, John Beeston and Australian wine critic James Halliday, Brokenwood has since achieved global recognition for producing some of the finest Australian wines.

While they are based in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Brokenwood’s strategy of sourcing from ‘all the right regions for all the right reasons’, has added wines from McLaren Vale in South Australia, Beechworth in Victoria, Margaret River in Western Australia, and Orange in New South Wales to their portfolio.

Brokenwood is well-known for the Cricket Pitch label, which was first sourced from a 4-hectare block at the foothills of the Hunter Valley’s Brokenback Ranges. The block was originally earmarked as the local cricket ground before they decided to plant a vineyard instead. Similarly, Brokenwood purchased their neighbouring block, which was intended to be the local cemetery, and instead planted Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, becoming their critically acclaimed flagship wine, the Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz.

Celebrating 35 vintages at the helm of Brokenwood, Chief Winemaker and Managing Director Iain Riggs AM introduced new winery equipment and facilities specifically for premium white wine production when he joined in 1982. Since 1983, white wine has been a significant part of the total production, and Brokenwood’s Semillon is widely recognized as one of the finest in the Hunter Valley and the world.

Bancroft Wines’ Buying Director Barney Davis comments:

“Brokenwood grew from a family-and-friends winery into a world-class operation and one of Australia's most respected producers. It is testament to Iain Riggs’ talent and competence that throughout their expansion they have managed to remain fiercely committed to producing such unique and high-quality expressions of Australian terroir. We look forward to building a long-term partnership with them in the UK”.

Iain Riggs AM, Brokenwood Chief Winemaker/Managing Director, comments:

“Brokenwood has been in the off trade and on restaurant tables in the UK since the late 1970s and we are thrilled to continue our distribution with Bancroft Wines. We look forward to a valuable partnership and maintaining the availability of premium Australian wine in the UK market.”

Bancroft Wines announces their appointment as UK agents for Delicato Family Vineyards' leading portfolio brands

Bancroft Wines announces their appointment as agents in the UK for California-based Delicato Family Vineyards (“Delicato”), one of the top ten wine companies in the US. Effective August 1^st Bancroft Wines will represent key Delicato brands including Noble Vines, Gnarly Head, Brazin, Stone Barn, and Black Stallion Estate Winery, which won the IWSC trophy for Best USA Wine Producer in 2017.

Delicato was founded by Gaspare Indelicato and his uncle Sebastiano Luppino, Italian immigrants who started growing grapes in Lodi in 1924. Family-owned and operated since the company’s founding, four generations of the Indelicato family have cemented the winery’s commitment and reputation for innovation, quality and environmental stewardship.

Today, Delicato is one of the fastest-growing wine companies in the United States, and is run by Gaspare’s grandsons Chris Indelicato, president and CEO, and his brother Jay Indelicato, COO. They farm over 1,700 hectares of family-owned vineyards across Lodi, Monterey, and Napa Valley.

Bancroft Wines’ CEO Jon Worsley comments:

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to begin this new partnership with Delicato Family Vineyards. Over the years they have championed the quality and diversity of premium Californian wines, and most importantly, we share our fundamental values of family, quality and sustainability. The Bancroft team looks forward to building on current sales, increasing distribution in the UK and forming a long-term partnership”.

Chris Indelicato, Delicato Family Vineyards President and CEO comments:

“Delicato is the seventh largest exporter of California wines, with established distribution partnerships across five continents in more than 50 countries worldwide. As the 6^th largest wine market in the world – this market is important to our industry and our business, and we are confident that Bancroft Wines is the right fit to represent our portfolio.”