Bleasdale's Senior Winemaker Paul Hotker is James Hallidays Winemaker of the Year 2018. The magnificent fruit for Bleasdales Powder Monkey comes from Hotker's finest Shiraz block, directly behind the winery the oldest in Langhorne Creek. Powder Monkey is named in honour of a young Frank Potts who, at age nine, joined the British Royal Navy as a powder monkey diminutive crew members charged with carrying gunpowder during battle. Later, in 1850, an older and wiser Frank Potts would found the first winery in Langhorne Creek.

BLEASDALE VINEYARD Frank Potts Cabernet Blend, Langhorne Creek Bleasdale, the first winery in Langhorne Creek (1850), celebrates founder Frank Potts with this Flagship Series Cabernet-led blend filled out with Malbec and some or all of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, depending on the vintage. The wine typically has aromas of red berry and darker fruits with plum, violet and black olive notes. These characters continue on to the palate supported by nutty, spicy oak plus a hint of vanilla. Components are de-stemmed and crushed to open fermenters with the Malbec fermented as whole berries. After up to 14 days on skins post-fermentation the wine is transferred to French oak puncheons and hogsheads (about 30% new) for 12 months maturation.

The Iron Duke is a premium Langhorne Creek Cabernet from Bleasdale the regions oldest winery, founded in 1850. The wine, made in limited quantites, is a blend of the best parcels of Cabernet fruit from the vintage. Rich, medium bodied and showing sublime regional and varietal typicity, The Iron Duke is racked before bottle without filtration. Named not after Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, but after founder Frank Potts own rifle. The wine honours Franks readiness is organising Langhorne Creek locals to defend against a potential Imperial Russian Invasion a real fear at the time.