De Iuliis Wines

De Iuliis Wines traces its identity to the Italian-Australian heritage of the De Iuliis family, who arrived in Australia in the post-World War II Italian immigration wave that contributed substantially to the country's modern wine industry. The De Iuliis family was involved in the broader Australian wine industry for multiple decades before establishing its own estate, with that wider industry experience informing the family's approach to viticulture, winemaking, and the long-game stewardship of vineyard land. The Hunter Valley estate at Pokolbin was established in the 1980s with the planting of estate vineyards in the heart of the Lower Hunter, on the same Pokolbin parcels and surrounding country that anchor the broader heritage Hunter winemaking tradition of Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, and Mount Pleasant. The De Iuliis family has held the estate as a multi-generation family business since founding, with the next generation taking on progressively more responsibility across viticulture, winemaking, and commercial operations through the 2000s and 2010s. The combination of Italian family-business sensibility with classical Lower Hunter winemaking has positioned De Iuliis as one of the most reliably respected mid-scale Hunter producers, with consistent show results and trade reputation across multiple decades.

• Italian-Australian family heritage from the post-World War II Italian immigration wave
• Multi-decade wider Australian wine industry involvement before establishing the De Iuliis estate
• Estate at Pokolbin established in the 1980s in the heart of the Lower Hunter Valley
• Multi-generation family business with next generation progressively taking on viticulture, winemaking, and commercial responsibilities

Michael De Iuliis is the Chief Winemaker at De Iuliis Wines and one of the most decorated mid-career winemakers in the Hunter Valley. Michael has received multiple James Halliday Wine Companion Winemaker of the Year nominations and is widely regarded as one of the most consistent producers of single-vineyard Hunter Shiraz of his generation. His approach to winemaking centres on careful site selection within the family vineyards, gentle handling of small lots, traditional Hunter winemaking sensibility (early harvest for Semillon, restrained French oak for Shiraz, lower alcohol levels than warmer-climate Australian regions), and a willingness to release multiple block-level Single Vineyard Shirazes to articulate the diversity within the estate. Michael has also been an active voice in the broader Hunter Valley wine community, contributing to regional advocacy through the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association and other regional bodies, and his show track record includes multiple trophies at the Hunter Valley Wine Show across both red and white wine categories. The combination of show success, critical recognition, and consistent quality across the De Iuliis portfolio has made Michael one of the most trusted names in modern Hunter Valley winemaking.

• Michael De Iuliis Chief Winemaker; multiple James Halliday Wine Companion Winemaker of the Year nominations
• One of the most consistent producers of single-vineyard Hunter Shiraz of his generation
• Traditional Hunter sensibility: early Semillon harvest, restrained French oak for Shiraz, lower alcohol than warmer-climate Australian regions
• Multiple Hunter Valley Wine Show trophies across red and white categories; active in regional Hunter Valley wine industry advocacy

The Steven Vineyard Reserve Shiraz is the flagship single-vineyard wine of De Iuliis and is sourced from a heritage Pokolbin parcel originally planted in the 1960s. The Steven Vineyard sits within the broader De Iuliis estate holdings in the Pokolbin Lower Hunter sub-district and produces Shiraz of distinctive concentration, structure, and savoury complexity that reflects the regional medium-bodied Hunter style at its most refined. The Reserve cuvée is fermented in open-top vessels with extended maceration and aged in French oak, with restrained use of new oak in keeping with the Hunter tradition that prefers structural support over dominant wood flavour. The wine ages remarkably well, with mature vintages developing the savoury earth, leather, and dried-fruit complexity that distinguish Hunter Shiraz from warmer-climate Australian Shiraz expressions. Beyond the Steven Vineyard Reserve, De Iuliis produces a Limited Release Single Vineyard programme that releases selected estate blocks in small lots, providing collectors and enthusiasts with block-level diversity from across the estate vineyards. The Limited Release programme typically includes Shiraz from named blocks, additional Semillon expressions, and occasional Chardonnay releases, with very small production volumes preserving exclusivity and articulating the diversity within the estate.

• Steven Vineyard Reserve Shiraz: flagship single-vineyard Shiraz from a heritage Pokolbin parcel originally planted in the 1960s
• Open-top fermentation with extended maceration; French oak with restrained new oak in the Hunter tradition
• Limited Release Single Vineyard programme: selected estate blocks released in small lots for block-level diversity
• Mature vintages develop savoury earth, leather, and dried-fruit complexity distinguishing Hunter Shiraz from warmer-climate Australian expressions

The De Iuliis Aged Release Semillon programme is one of the most committed expressions of the heritage Hunter aged-release Semillon tradition outside of the largest historic producers (Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, Mount Pleasant). The programme involves holding back select Semillon vintages from the standard release schedule and cellaring them at the winery for multiple years before release to consumers, allowing the wines to begin the transformation from the pale, taut, citrussy youthful Hunter Semillon style into the rich, toasty, beeswax-and-honey aged Hunter Semillon style. The wines are harvested early at 10 to 11.5 percent potential alcohol to preserve high natural acidity, fermented in stainless steel with no oak contact, bottled immediately to preserve aromatic citrus, then cellared at controlled temperature for the aged-release period. The Aged Release wines are typically released at five to ten years bottle age, with the transformation between youthful and aged Hunter Semillon already substantially underway by release. The programme reflects De Iuliis's commitment to the Hunter aged-Semillon tradition as a distinctive Australian fine-wine category and provides consumers with access to mature Hunter Semillon without requiring decades of home cellaring.

• Aged Release Semillon programme: select Semillon vintages held back for multiple years before release in the heritage Hunter tradition
• Harvested at 10 to 11.5 percent potential alcohol; stainless steel fermentation; no oak; bottled immediately to preserve aromatic citrus
• Cellared at controlled temperature for the aged-release period; typically released at five to ten years bottle age
• Provides consumers with access to mature Hunter Semillon without requiring decades of home cellaring; one of the most committed aged-release programmes outside the largest historic Hunter producers

Beyond the flagship Steven Vineyard Shiraz, Limited Release programme, and Aged Release Semillon, De Iuliis produces a three-variety portfolio of Shiraz, Semillon, and Chardonnay across multiple price tiers. The standard De Iuliis Hunter Valley Shiraz and Semillon at value-to-moderate pricing demonstrate the producer's house style to a broader audience and provide accessible entry points into the De Iuliis range, while the Reserve and Single Vineyard tiers serve collectors and committed Hunter Valley enthusiasts. The Chardonnay completes the three-variety portfolio in the Hunter Valley Chardonnay tradition, with barrel-fermented French oak elevation and the restrained citrus-and-stone-fruit profile that the regional climate produces. De Iuliis sells primarily through cellar door, direct-to-consumer subscription, and select on-trade distribution, with the family business model preserving the producer's independence and allowing Michael De Iuliis the winemaking latitude that drives the consistent show success. The producer's combination of accessible value-tier wines, decorated single-vineyard flagships, and a serious aged-release Semillon programme has positioned De Iuliis as one of the Hunter Valley's most reliable mid-scale producers across multiple decades.

• Three-variety portfolio: Shiraz, Semillon, and Chardonnay across multiple price tiers
• Standard De Iuliis Hunter Valley Shiraz and Semillon at value-to-moderate pricing as accessible entry points
• Reserve and Single Vineyard tiers serve collectors and committed Hunter Valley enthusiasts
• Cellar door, direct-to-consumer subscription, and select on-trade distribution; family business model preserves independence and winemaking latitude