Tomfoolery

Barossa, SA

Tomfoolery began as a fun project of Barossa young guns and best mates Ben Chipman and Toby Yapp. They took 1 tonne of old vine Shiraz and created the instant smash-hit, first bottling of the Artful Dodger Shiraz. Over the following vintages the boys expanded their production to include Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Mataro, Tempranillo from the Barossa; as well as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from the Adelaide Hills. In early 2018/19 Ben and wife Sarah bought Toby’s share and have opened the beautiful Tomfoolery Cellar Door in Light Pass, SA. The winemaking philosophy is simple: small parcels of fruit, hand-tended through a simple, relatively non-interventionist approach, with the aim to truly reflect the individual characteristics of the vineyard and variety. These wines are made with old world simplicity in a new world region. The fruit, whether from their own vineyards and selected growers is hand-picked in the coolest, early hours of the morning. The reds are partially destemmed into small open fermenters, pumped over by hand twice daily, before gentle basket pressing. Wines are matured in barrel, stacked in pyramids on traditional stillage, and bottled with no fining or filtration after 12 or 24 months, depending on the cuvee. Ben counts Robert O’Callahan as a mentor and has worked vintage at Jean-Louis Chave in Hermitage.

Mike Bennie from The Wine Front describes Tomfoolery well… "The irreverence of the name Tomfoolery belies a serious intent to produce wines of the Barossa Valley with a deft touch, respect for old vine culture and an eye on the pursuit of ultimate drinkability. These are wines that celebrate texture and expression over the supreme notion of balance, preferring to reflect vineyard character over winemaking artifice. The enjoyment factor is high with these wines, the exploration a reward.”

Available only in NSW