Gibson Wines

By the time veteran winemaker Rob Gibson established his own label in 1997, he had already spent two decades at Penfolds working his way up from crusher operator to playing a lead role in the production of Grange. While the family label took little time to establish itself as an premium producer of richly flavoured table wines, Gibson also used his skills and experience to create the Australian Old Vine Collection.

His self-imposed task is to identify and document and, more excitingly, vinify grapes from the remnants of original plantings stretching back into the 1800s in each major Australian wine-growing district.
These wines reflect the quality and incredible ageing potential that fruit from these vineyards can create. It is a small piece of Australian history right there in the bottle.

Whether it be working on the old vine collection or his Gibson wine range, Gibson’s philosophy remains the same - premium wine can only be created with an unrelenting focus on fruit quality and careful soil and water management. His commitment to quality has garnered high praise from wine critics such as James Halliday who regularly hand out scores in the high-90s to Gibson creations.

With his wife Anne and his family lending a hand, the Gibson wine label produces about 5000 cases of wine each year, depending on the vintage. Merlot is a particular speciality for Gibson, whose knowledge of the variety in the Barossa is only matched by the very best Merlot exponents such as James Irvine.Gibson also helms the lower-priced Loose End brand, which he created in 2003.- John Lehmann

Gibson Wine's vineyards