Those special grapes, affectionately named ‘Little Black Jewels’ by Lehmann, were sourced and crafted into what we now know as Stonewell. Their ‘Little Black Jewels’ are picked when they are slightly riper to increase colour and create greater depth and mouthfeel. Fruit from the best Shiraz vineyards is kept separate during crushing and early barrel maturation until the annual vintage classification where intense colours and concentrated flavours are seen as potential Stonewell varieties. As the story goes, Peter Lehmann and Andrew Wigan had to hide the wine to allow for optimum ageing to occur over a five-year period. Sourced from vineyards in the Light Pass, Nuriootpa & Moppa districts from selected parcels belonging to five of Peter Lehmann's valuable growers. Some of these vines are circa 60+ years old and dry-grown. The grapes are picked in the cool of the night and crushed immediately into stainless steel fermenters for 7-12 days. After pressing off skins, the wine is then matured in new and older hogsheads for 15 months prior to fining, filtration and bottling. The wine rests in their temperature controlled warehouse for four more years prior to labelling and release.