Sorby Adams Wines

Sorby Adams Wines is a family-owned Barossa producer established in 2004 by Simon Sorby Adams. Simon brings nearly five decades of wine-industry experience, including approximately twenty years as Chief Winemaker at Yalumba, where he worked on some of the Barossa’s most recognised premium wines.

Today, Simon and his wife Jill work closely with family growers across the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, selecting vineyard parcels that suit the character and structure of each wine. Their approach combines traditional winemaking, regional knowledge and a long-term commitment to quality.

A Family Wine Story

The Sorby Adams name comes from the family union of Anna Louisa Sorby and Augustus Crichton Adams in England during the early nineteenth century. That family history continues through Simon, Jill and the next generation.

Simon’s children, Angus, Digby and Sally, also inspired the name Gudilly, created by combining parts of their names. The Gudilly wines explore emerging varieties and more relaxed, contemporary styles intended for food, casual occasions and everyday enjoyment.

A Journey of Discovery

Discovery is central to the Sorby Adams identity. The wine labels pay tribute to family ancestor John Couch Adams, the British mathematician and astronomer whose calculations helped predict the existence and position of the planet Neptune during the 1840s.

That same spirit guides the winery’s approach: respecting established Barossa traditions while continuing to explore vineyards, varieties, techniques and more sustainable ways of producing wine.

Barossa Valley and Eden Valley

Sorby Adams works with vineyards throughout the Barossa, including warmer Barossa Valley sites and higher, cooler vineyards in Eden Valley. This regional diversity allows Simon to combine the richness and power of the valley floor with the structure, freshness and finesse associated with the Barossa Hills.

Fruit is sourced from carefully selected family growers and individual vineyard sites. Soil, elevation, climate and vine age are considered before harvest so that each parcel is matched to the intended wine style.

The Importance of Weathered Oak

Simon’s detailed approach to oak developed during his years as Chief Winemaker at Yalumba. While oak is commonly weathered for two or three years before coopering, Simon experimented with much longer periods and continues to use fine-grained French and American oak weathered for four or eight years.

Extended air drying helps soften the influence of the oak while encouraging aromas of cedar, cocoa, spice and vanilla. The goal is not to overpower the fruit, but to provide structure, elegant tannins and long-term ageing potential.

Depending on the wine, maturation may range from approximately twelve months for the Barossa Classics to as long as forty months for the flagship old-vine Shiraz, The Thing.

Traditional Craft, Modern Responsibility

Sorby Adams combines traditional winemaking with contemporary practices intended to protect vineyard character and improve long-term sustainability. The wines are also made without animal-derived fining products, making the complete Sorby Adams range vegan-friendly.

The result is a family collection that moves from fresh and approachable Gudilly releases to structured Barossa Classics, Neptune-inspired wines and long-lived premium Shiraz, all connected by Simon’s experience, vineyard focus and distinctive use of oak.