Why it matters
The producer
Giovanni Amadio arrived in Australia in 1927 and took work as a market gardener in a fruit orchard at East Marden. He had been making wine for family and friends for years before 1936, when he commercially registered a dry table wine. His son Gaetano planted the Kersbrook vineyard in 1985. His grandson Danniel took over winemaking in 2005, drawing on the Italian heritage of the family and directing the estate toward international competition.
In late 2024, Sebastien's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 took the Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon at the AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge, the world's largest wine competition, beating entries from more than 40 countries. The same wine was named Sommeliers Top Red of the Competition at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair. Over the prior decade, the estate had accumulated more than 80 gold medals at international shows.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Kersbrook sits in the eastern part of the Adelaide Hills appellation in South Australia, in a pocket that runs warmer and drier than the cooler, wetter sub-regions to the south and west. Lower rainfall and higher temperatures slow vine vigour, limiting the canopy and concentrating the fruit. Grapes ripen earlier than in surrounding parts of the Hills. On Cabernet Sauvignon, Kersbrook's conditions produce fruit with firm tannin and high natural acidity. That combination of concentration and acid line is why the estate's wines carry enough substance to age and enough freshness to compete at altitude internationally.
The vineyard holds accreditation for Sustainable Wine Growing Practices.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
All fruit for the Amadio label comes from the Kersbrook estate. The warmer aspect within the Adelaide Hills drives earlier bud break and ripening, and low canopy vigour concentrates colour and flavour in the fruit. Cool nights in the Hills preserve acidity, moderating the heat of the days and keeping the wines fresh alongside their concentration.
In the cellar, French oak is the primary tool for developing texture. The Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 spent 26 months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak casks, a period long enough to integrate the oak into the mid-palate and broaden the wine's texture without erasing the variety's dark-fruit character. The Reserve sees the same 26-month oak programme, applied to fruit selected at higher natural acidity.
Wines to know
The range in view
The Amadio estate range is built around three tiers of Cabernet Sauvignon, each drawing from the same Kersbrook vineyard but differentiated by selection, oak exposure, and acidity at harvest.
Evanescence Cabernet Malbec 2024 is the approachable tier. Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with Malbec from the estate. Natural acidity sits at 6.21 g/L, preserved by cool Adelaide Hills nights. The wine is fresh and round, with enough concentration to cellar over the following decade, but accessible early.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Sebastien's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is the right first bottle. It is a single-vineyard Cabernet from Kersbrook, matured 26 months in French oak, and carrying the highest natural acidity in the estate's range at 7.57 g/L. On the nose, dark cherry, mulberry, and blackcurrant come first, followed by mint, cedar, and cocoa. On the palate, cassis and blackberry move into a long graphite finish across velvety, finely worked tannin. Start here to understand what a warm-pocketed Adelaide Hills site can do with Cabernet Sauvignon at full selection.