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Keepers of the Flame

Looking to the past has always ignited our passion for the future. This range of exceptional Hunter Valley wines, affectionally named Keepers of the Flame, celebrates the inspired vision and future of Scarborough Wine Co. Take a moment to discover our newest wine release.

Each release of Keepers of the Flame will be slightly different to the last. They are nurtured with care and collaboration across all aspects of our business – Sally, Jerome and Liz coming together from vineyard to bottle, always highlighting the very best of the season. Enjoy.

Shop Our Keepers of the Flame Range

Lighting the Flame for the Future: What makes Keepers of the Flame special?

Family portrait at Scarborough Wines

Keepers of the Flame heralds a new era of stewardship for Scarborough Wine Co. This limited-edition wine range leverages the expertise of the next generation, each family member making a mark in their own field.

Jerome Scarborough – 2021 Viticulturist of the Year, Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism

Sally Scarborough – 2020 Hunter Valley Innovation Award

Liz Riley – 2020 Graham Gregory Award recognising her 30 year contribution to the NSW wine industry, 2017 ASVO Viticulturist of the Year

Together, the next generation, the “Keepers of the Flame”, collaborate to deliver these new small-parcel wines that showcase the distinctive vineyards of their Hunter Valley home. Viticulture here requires a different approach than many other regions when it comes to sustainability. We are often dealing with adversity – from one extreme to the next. This means we need to be agile to ensure we can continue to harvest the best crop possible each vintage.

Keepers of the Flame will be different each year, testimony to the evolution in the vineyards and the conditions thrown our way. We begin with the 2019 vintage, which is, of course, a chardonnay, sourced from our Gillards Road property around our cellar door. But there’s a story to the wines in the glass that reflects the prevailing conditions of each growing season and the parcel of wine selected. The 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages come from the Cottage Vineyard, from different clones and soil profiles, which give a very different profile to the wines.

The future is bright. Keepers of the Flame is continuing the passion for what Scarborough stands for – the grower, the maker and the marketer coming together to ensure the wine is fitting to bear the family name.

Keepers of the Flame Philosophy

Scarborough Keepers of the Flame Wine bottle with glasses

We have a great resource in our vineyards with a huge range of styles, varietals and clones at our disposal. Keepers of the Flame gives us the ability to select those parcels that look special in the vineyard and make them as something different to the traditional Scarborough range. It’s a unique opportunity to produce something new and exciting for our customers to try each year.

“Keepers of the Flame encourages us to seek out exceptional parcels of fruit, not pre-determined by vineyard or variety. This will result in a unique limited edition, small-batch wine, different to our house style and inviting our customers to taste something unexpected each vintage.”

Chardonnay remains at the core of Scarborough, it’s in our DNA. But we recognise that as the climate evolves, we need to be agile and trial new techniques and varieties that future-proof our family-owned business. As Liz Riley notes, “There are other little things we’re toying with, some of which might not be in the ground yet. Our focus is on making the vineyards more sustainable, and because of that we’re often flirting with other varieties.”

The ecosystem of our vineyards is critical. From the microcosm of soil biology to small beneficial insects and arthropods to the health of the vines themselves, the little things count.

Keepers of the Flame is about looking to the future, while respecting the past. Sally Scarborough says it’s like a promise to her future self. “We’re going to take care of things, keep pushing the boundaries in innovation, and in wine quality and experiences. To be releasing a wine that’s different in style, but still true to family and our Hunter Valley roots is what’s really exciting.”

Working with family is what makes this project particularly special. To source a parcel in the vineyard, nurture it in the winery and then leverage the marketing story to convey it to our customers has great synchronicity.

How are these wines different to The Obsessive Chardonnay?

It’s a matter of personal taste – elegance versus power. The Obsessive Chardonnay has the power due to a longer period of time spent in oak, whereas this Keepers of the Flame Chardonnay is a more elegant and refined version of Hunter Valley Chardonnay. It showcases new clones and a lighter touch in the winery. A large portion of the 2020 and 2021 wines were matured in large-format puncheons, which allows the fruit flavours to shine.