The grapes are destemmed but not crushed. Fermentation takes place in small stainless steel open fermenters adapted to the size of individual vineyard parcels. Careful hand plunging takes place twice daily. Optimum temperatures are sustained over the course of fermentation to ensure the true expression of the terroir; rich flavours, colour and aromas are drawn out. 

The wine is gently basket pressed in individual vineyard parcels over the course of several hours. Our vertical basket press combines state of the art technology with traditional winemaking. 

The wine was matured for fifteen months in new and seasoned A.P. John oak barrels. 

For this limited release wine of 2700 bottles we selected a Malbec from the Rohrlach vineyard in the Nuriootpa sub-region of the Barossa Valley which was planted in the 1970s. 

The Old Cooperage celebrates the historic relationship between Château Tanunda and A.P. John Coopers. The John family began operating as coopers in 1889 when Christian Paul John established the Château Tanunda Cooperage. Since then five generations of the John family have worked in viticulture, winemaking and coopering in the Barossa. A few specials parcels of varying red varieties and blends are selected each year to carry the Old Cooperage label.