Utopos

The fates were kind when Neil Panuja, a friend of Kym Teusner’s from ‘the big smoke’, said he had the wish (and the cash) to get into fine-wine production and asked that Kym keep an eye out for something special. Shortly thereafter a vineyard that Kym had coveted from his beginnings in the Barossa Valley came onto the market. The 20ha site was duly acquired, Kym investing in a small share that he couldn’t really afford but had to have. The vineyard is on Roenfeldt Road at one of the highest points of the boundary between Greenock and Marananga. The depleted stoney soils consistently produce low yields of high-quality grapes that loudly proclaim their origin. The X-factor is the site-driven savoury balance that Kym says he always longs for. The name they have given the business is the root word of Utopia. Everything is just so right: great vineyard, great winemaker, great story, great packaging. -JAMES HALLIDAY