Smith & Banks
Like so many of the best stories, it begins with grand dreams and empty pockets.
George Sutherland Smith and John Banks were two ambitious young men who wanted more from life than Scotland’s industrial far north could offer. We can picture them now, huddled by the open fire, no doubt nursing a dram, excitedly discussing the adventure and fortune that awaited them in Australia.
As with many of their countrymen, their time in Australia commenced on the gold fields with a claim on the Indigo diggings in 1852. With gold proving elusive they returned to their engineering backgrounds and by 1857 had formalised their partnership ‘Smith & Banks’. They won contracts for a number of notable public works in the district including the original Ovens District Hospital, a wing of the infamous Beechworth Prison, the commanding Beechworth Presbyterian Church and the first bridge across the Edward River at Deniliquin.
Ever the entrepreneurs, the burgeoning riverboat trade would be their next call, with a number of steamers under their charge operating out of the Port of Wahgunyah. When a planned railway foretold the demise of the riverboats, they turned to timber milling, supplying thousands of redgum sleepers for the main line from Melbourne.
In 1864 their attentions turned to the emerging Rutherglen wine industry that had taken root just a handful of years earlier. Their initial efforts yielded little success but not to be deterred a subsequent planting on a new site in 1869 proved far more fruitful. Their early wines achieved acclaim from far and wide, including many of Australia’s earliest international wine awards such as the London and Vienna Exhibitions of 1873. Demand soared, plantings expanded apace and their careers as vignerons took flight.
Banks would sadly succumb to illness in 1876, leaving his childhood friend, business partner and now brother-in-law to continue their work. 160 years and six generations of family winemakers later, their legacy still prospers in the form of Warrabilla Wines.
To mark 160 years of Sutherland Smith family winemaking (1864 – 2024), we are proud to bring this long held ambition to fruition – the 2024 Smith & Banks.
The Release
While the concept for this wine has been percolating for some years, waiting for the right vintage was always going to be the challenge. Thankfully we were blessed with one of the best in living memory in 2024.
There has never been a fixed idea of what shape this wine would take – it has always been a simple premise of the very best parcel of wine from the very best vintage. In the end we selected from just five puncheons (four Durif, one Shiraz), from a balance of 100% new French (A.P. John Du Bordelais) and American (A.P. John Missouri Select) oak, representing the very best of the 2024 vintage.
Expressive and fragrant on the nose, high toned florals backed by a pool of dark ‘fruits of the forest’. The palate is deep and complex, laden with dark berry fruit, baking spices, turned earth and attractive savoury tones lurking in the background. Firm, structural fruit tannins emerge through the mid palate and quality oak is neatly folded in like hospital corners.
It’s full-bodied, rich, and intricately detailed. Quite literally a once in a generation wine that will cellar comfortably to 2040 and possibly beyond. View the tasting note here.
A Word From Smithy
Family legacies are funny things. One man’s foundation stone is another man’s millstone. I’m not a renowned sentimentalist and we have always held our focus on doing things our own way rather than leaning on what a family member may have done in the past.
But with time I’ve come to appreciate the history of those who came before. The courage to board a ship bound for the ends of the earth, the determination to make a go of things and the resilience to overcome the many challenges and adversities that came their way. It’s a story that deserves to be not just acknowledged, but celebrated.
That said, the important thing for me will always be the wine, and I believe that this is the best wine we have ever put together. Amy and I had an embarrassment of riches to choose from in 2024 and assembling this blend was about as much fun as I have had in forty plus years of making wine.
We have always prided ourselves on offering value for money and I don’t offer a premium priced wine lightly. We’ve sampled this wine in very good company – some of Australia’s greatest full bodied reds – and I am confident in the 2024 Smith & Banks’ place amongst them.
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