Hailing from the sun baked southern Italian region of Calabria, Vincent Cirillo immigrated to South Australia in 1946 with over 400 years of wine making history in the family spanning 9 generations. The Barossa Valley became home in 1842, along with the acquisition of some remarkable vineyards planted in 1848, making them of some of the very first Barossa Valley vines ever planted. These parcels of Grenache and Semillon are now recognised as the oldest surviving and producing examples of these varietals in the world. Today, Marco Cirillo, the youngest of Vincent & Lina’s four children leads all facets of the Cirillo story, from viticulture to winemaking to winery management. Marco studied winemaking in Wagga Wagga and has had honed his skills as an exceptional talent who is immensely proud to showcase his rare earth. In the last 50 years only Vincent and Marco have pruned the 1848 Grenache vineyard, such is the fastidious accountability for these treasures. Marco, wife Annika (of the famous Lehmann family) and young daughters Maya and Ella carry on the Cirillo traditions.
The small Cirillo Estate, run by winemaker Marco Cirillo and his wife Annika Lehmann, was one of the first modern wineries in Barossa to truly focus on Grenache. In the 1970s, the Cirillo family purchased their Light Pass vineyard, planted in 1848 with Grenache and Sémillon. The vineyard survived the relatively recent decimation of Barossa Grenache stocks, no doubt in part due to its exceptional location on sandy soils, proving to be the best suited to Grenache in Barossa. After selling their fruit to wineries such as Rockford and Torbreck for decades, Marco Cirillo took over, and the estate was born. Today it remains home to unique Barossan expressions and excellent value, particularly among the entry-level wines.
Angus Hughson, June 2023