Chapel Hill | McLaren Vale
Chapel Hill Winery in McLaren Vale was built on the site of the Seaview Chapel and school house. The 1865 ironstone Chapel still proudly stands today and is an integral feature of the winery serving as its tasting room.
Planting of the vineyard commenced in 1972 and the first vintage was in 1975. Perched on the edge of the spectacular Onkaparinga Gorge, shallow rocky soils are a feature with sweeping views back over McLaren Vale and Gulf St Vincent.
Under the guidance of winemakers Michael Fragos and Bryn Richards, Chapel Hill strives to hand craft wines with purity and balance. To pursue this belief of “sense of place”, all of the grapes and wines are handled gently in small batches with a sensitive winemaking philosophy. The red wines are open fermented, plunged and basket pressed and are naturally clarified (without fining or filtration) to ensure the wonderful site and varietal characters are nurtured and protected. As a result, all Chapel Hill wines are suitable for vegetarians.
Fragos has twice been named "Winemaker of the Year" by Winestate in 2003 and the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2007. Chapel Hill is listed as a 5 Red Star winery by James Halliday.