Wolf Blass

Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass was born in Germany in 1934, according to the producer's history. After studying Champagne techniques in France in 1957, he moved to England in 1959 to study blending, and then to the Barossa Valley in 1961. Decanter reports that he arrived in the Barossa to work at the Kaiser Stuhl co-operative and, after a three-year contract, set himself up as a freelance technical advisor. Wolf Blass Wines was established in 1966, when he began making small parcels of his own wine. Wolf Blass is part of Treasury Wine Estates: the brand's own site sets its order terms in Treasury Wine Estates' name, and a Decanter interview (last updated May 2015) described Wolf Blass as one of the most important brands in the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio.

• Founder: Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass, born in Germany in 1934
• 1961: moved to the Barossa Valley
• 1966: Wolf Blass Wines established
• Owner: Treasury Wine Estates

The producer's history names John Glaetzer as the first winemaker Wolf Blass hired, in 1970, and records his appointment as Senior Winemaker in 1974. Chris Hatcher joined as Senior Winemaker in 1987 and went on to become Chief Winemaker; the producer's site, as fetched on 2026-09-23, says he still holds that role. Decanter dates his step up to chief winemaker to 1996. Caroline Dunn was hired as a red winemaker in 1997 and, by the producer's account, was instrumental in creating Platinum Label Shiraz and the Gold Label range before becoming a Senior Winemaker.

• John Glaetzer: first winemaker hired, 1970; Senior Winemaker from 1974
• Chris Hatcher: joined 1987; Chief Winemaker per the producer's site as of September 2026
• Caroline Dunn: hired as a red winemaker in 1997; instrumental in creating Platinum Label Shiraz and the Gold Label range

Wolf Blass calls the Barossa its heartland and describes the Barossa Valley as its home since 1966. The producer's history records the acquisition of the 3 hectare Bilyara site, 4 km from Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley; on learning that Bilyara is the Aboriginal word for Eaglehawk, and with the eagle the national emblem of Germany, Blass decided the wines would carry the eagle emblem. Rather than working from a single site, the producer sources grapes across South Australia, which it says allows it to blend across vineyards, varieties and regions. The regions it profiles are the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Eden Valley, Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale. Platinum Label fruit is selected from the producer's Medlands Vineyard in the Barossa Valley.

• Heartland: the Barossa Valley, home since 1966
• Bilyara: 3 hectare site, 4 km from Nuriootpa
• Regions profiled: Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Eden Valley, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale
• Medlands Vineyard, Barossa Valley: source of Platinum Label fruit

The first Wolf Blass Yellow Label was made from the 1966 vintage, and the first wine to bear the Wolf Blass name was the 1967 Grey Label Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz. Black Label was launched in 1973; the first was a blend of 80% Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Eden Valley Shiraz, matured in American and French oak for over 16 months. Decanter reports that Blass made the first Black Label by cross blending his best barrels of Grey Label, and quoted Chris Hatcher putting Black Label volumes at 'generally around 2,000 cases'. The ranges listed on the producer's site are Altitude, Bilyara, Black Label, Eaglehawk, Gold Label, Grey Label, Makers' Project, Platinum Label, Private Release, Red Label, Yellow Label and Zero Wines. The producer calls Platinum Label its ultimate wine, describes Grey Label as red wines rich in regional character and varietal expression, presents Gold Label as wines that showcase both regional and varietal excellence, and positions Red Label as easy-drinking wines showcasing its blending expertise. Wolf Blass launched the Makers Project range in 2019.

• Black Label: launched 1973; first blend 80% Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Eden Valley Shiraz
• First Yellow Label: 1966 vintage; first wine under the Wolf Blass name: 1967 Grey Label Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
• Platinum Label: fruit from the Medlands Vineyard, Barossa Valley
• Makers Project range launched in 2019

The producer says its blending delivers wines with 'unmistakable character, soft rounded palates, and vibrant flavour', and describes Black Label as the finest blend from South Australian vineyards, with 'intricate complexity, intensity of fruit and magnificent structure'. In a 2016 Decanter report, Chris Hatcher said Black Label blends 'change every year to try and ensure consistency of the style Wolfy originally created', and described that style as 'Soft tannins and a plush mid palate'. Decanter also reported a move away from American oak toward higher use of French oak and second fill barrels, and the addition of Malbec to the Black Label blend, which Hatcher said only ripens properly in the best years. Decanter reported that the 2002 Black Label was the first experiment under Stelvin, bottled both under cork and under screw cap.

• Producer's stated aim: 'unmistakable character, soft rounded palates, and vibrant flavour'
• Black Label style per Chris Hatcher (Decanter, 2016): 'Soft tannins and a plush mid palate'
• Oak: move away from American oak toward French oak and second fill barrels (Decanter, 2016)

The producer's history records the opening of a new $30 million Wolf Blass winery in 2001, and Wine Spectator reported that the A$30 million winery in the Barossa Valley opened on March 1. Wine Spectator reported that the winery would process 22,000 tons of grapes in the 2001 harvest, with a design allowing expansion up to 82,500 tons, and that Wolf Blass had previously outsourced its grape crushing. The cellar door stands on the spot where Wolfgang Blass set up his original winery, at 97 Sturt Highway, Nuriootpa, which the producer describes as a 90 minute drive north of Adelaide.

• 2001: new A$30 million winery opened in the Barossa Valley
• Cellar door: 97 Sturt Highway, Nuriootpa, on the spot of the founder's original winery

Decanter reported that the first three Black Label vintages, 1973, 1974 and 1975, all won the Jimmy Watson Trophy, and called it the only time a wine has achieved a hat trick in the history of the competition. The producer's history dates the first win to the 1974 Royal Melbourne Wine Show, for the 1973 Black Label, with further wins in 1975 and 1976. A Decanter interview (last updated May 2015) reported that Blass explored export markets in Asia in the mid-1970s. In 2016 Decanter covered celebrations of 50 years of the brand and the 40th vintage of Black Label.

• Jimmy Watson Trophy: won by the 1973, 1974 and 1975 Black Label vintages (Decanter)
• 2016: 50 years of the brand and the 40th vintage of Black Label

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/about/our-history.html, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/about/our-regions.html, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/visit/cellar-door.html, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/wines/platinum-label/, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/wines/grey-label/, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/wines/gold-label/, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/wines/yellow-label/, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/wines/red-label/, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-au/faqs.html, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-us/about/our-history.html, https://www.wolfblass.com/en-us/wines/black-label/. Secondary sources: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/wolf-blass-opens-new-winery-in-australias-barossa-valley-20956, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/wolf-blass-legend-black-label-40-325698/, https://www.decanter.com/interviews/the-decanter-interview-wolf-blass-6446/. Last verified 2026-09-23. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.