Paxton `Thomas Block` Chardonnay 2012 (6 x 750mL), McLaren Vale, SA.

Established in 1979, Paxton is a family owned McLaren Vale wine company. Founder and owner, David Paxton is one of Australia’s most highly respected viticulturists – a reputation built on managing and growing wine grapes of exceptional quality for over 30 years.

The Paxton family have nurtured their own vineyards in McLaren Vale, South Australia, for three decades. Internationally recognised as one of Australia’s leading wine regions, McLaren Vale is renowned for the production of super premium quality wines – particularly red wines.

In 2000 the family released their first wine under the PAXTON label: the 1998 Paxton Shiraz. Today, under the direction and guidance of Michael Paxton – David’s son and Paxton winemaker –Paxton produces ten estate grown wines under the family label: Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rose, Tempranillo, AAA (a Shiraz Grenache blend), ‘MV’ Shiraz, Quandong Farm Shiraz, Jones Block Shiraz, ‘The Vale’ Cabernet and the flagship wine, the Paxton EJ Shiraz.

The Paxton wine range is an approachable collection of wines that showcase McLaren Vale’s fruit quality (through Paxton’s superior vineyard sites), natural diversity and varietal expression. In the winery, minimal winemaking intervention ensures the integrity of the fruit from vineyard to bottle.

Paxton vineyards are spread across a diverse number of sites and soil types, which are managed without compromise from planting to harvest by Viticulturist, Daniel Lavrencic. Daniel continues to strive to minimise inputs and manages the Paxton vineyards using biodynamic farming principles –a system of farming without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides with a focus on promoting healthy, living soils through the use of natural compost preparations.

Over the years, Paxton has introduced a number of environmental initiatives for the business, including becoming Australia’s first winery to join 1% For The Planet (a rapidly growing global network of environmentally conscious companies that give a least 1% of their annual sales to environmental causes every year) and achieving ZeroC/business certification, making PAXTON one of only a handful of Australian wineries to offset all emissions from activities within their operation.