Wolf Blass

Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass was born in Germany in 1934. 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 to work at the Kaiser Stuhl co-operative. After a three-year contract, he 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. A Decanter interview last updated in May 2015 called Wolf Blass 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

John Glaetzer was the first winemaker Wolf Blass hired, in 1970, and was appointed Senior Winemaker in 1974. Chris Hatcher joined as Senior Winemaker in 1987 and went on to become Chief Winemaker, a role he still holds. Decanter dates his step up to chief winemaker to 1996. Caroline Dunn was hired as a red winemaker in 1997, was instrumental in creating Platinum Label Shiraz and the Gold Label range, and went on to become a Senior Winemaker.

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

The Barossa Valley is the producer's heartland and has been its home since 1966. Wolf Blass acquired 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 allows it to blend across vineyards, varieties and regions. Its regions 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. Blass made that first Black Label by cross blending his best barrels of Grey Label. Decanter quoted Chris Hatcher putting Black Label volumes at 'generally around 2,000 cases'. The current ranges 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 and presents Grey Label as red wines rich in regional character and varietal expression, Gold Label as wines that showcase both regional and varietal excellence, and 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 describes the aim of its blending as 'unmistakable character, soft rounded palates, and vibrant flavour', and 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'. By 2016 Black Label had moved away from American oak toward higher use of French oak and second fill barrels, and Malbec, which only ripens properly in the best years, had been added to the blend. The 2002 Black Label was the first experiment under Stelvin, bottled both under cork and under screw cap.

• Black Label blends change every year to keep the style consistent
• Oak: shift from American oak toward French oak and second fill barrels
• Malbec added to the Black Label blend; it only ripens properly in the best years

A new A$30 million Wolf Blass winery opened in the Barossa Valley on March 1, 2001. It was set to process 22,000 tons of grapes in the 2001 harvest, with a design allowing expansion up to 82,500 tons; before it opened, Wolf Blass had outsourced its grape crushing. The cellar door stands on the spot where Wolfgang Blass set up his original winery, at 97 Sturt Highway, Nuriootpa, 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

The first three Black Label vintages, 1973, 1974 and 1975, all won the Jimmy Watson Trophy, the first at the 1974 Royal Melbourne Wine Show and the next two in 1975 and 1976. Decanter called it the only time a wine has achieved a hat trick in the history of the competition. Blass explored export markets in Asia in the mid-1970s. In 2016 the brand marked 50 years and the 40th vintage of Black Label.

• Jimmy Watson Trophy: won by the 1973, 1974 and 1975 Black Label vintages
• 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 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.