The 2025 vintage at Totino Estate Wines will be remembered as one marked by resilience, precision, and nature’s unrelenting force.
A prolonged summer drought, particularly severe during summer and early autumn, tested both vineyard and vigneron to their limits.
Yet, amid the parched landscape of Paracombe in the Adelaide Hills, our vines stood tall, adapting with quiet strength to the trying conditions.
The lack of rainfall demanded an extraordinary level of care in vineyard management.
Every decision—from canopy trimming to irrigation timing—was crucial in maintaining vine health and protecting fruit integrity.
Our small team worked closely with the land, responding daily to its signs and needs.
Remarkably, the fruit that emerged was concentrated, vibrant, and bursting with varietal character.
Sangiovese proved especially hardy, developing intense cherry and savoury spice notes with fine, structured tannins.
Pinot Grigio thrived under pressure, yielding fruit with crisp acidity and delicate pear-blossom aromatics.
Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, though challenged, ripened slowly and evenly, delivering berries rich in colour and complexity.
The Chardonnay showed remarkable poise, with elegant citrus notes and flinty minerality, while our Sauvignon Blanc was a standout—zippy, tropical, and delightfully aromatic.
While yields were naturally down, the 2025 vintage promises wines of intensity and elegance, shaped by adversity and perfected by patience.
In the glass, these wines will tell a story—not just of a difficult season, but of the care, skill, and passion behind every bottle.
Totino Estate’s 2025 vintage is a tribute to what vines can endure, and what wine can become, when the elements push us to our most attentive and heartfelt winemaking.