From $199.00
Three intriguing wines that explore the power of terroir within tiny, discrete micro-parcels of a single vineyard. Paired with the ability of Grenache to clearly express those differences.
Not only can McLaren Vale Grenache evoke sense of place of a whole vineyard, it can also highlight with great clarity the difference that mere metres can make within a vineyard - at a sub-vineyard, micro-plot level.
The extremely limited production Hickinbotham Series is from a triangle of three very small Grenache blocks at one of the highest elevation points of the whole Hickinbotham of Clarendon vineyard.
All picked the same day.
All made the same way.
Strikingly different, yet with the same exquisite core of balance.
The climate, sunshine, rain, geology, soil, topography and the soil–water relations even as close as just meters apart are clearly discernible in these wines.
A special pack with all three Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Grenache Wines:
- 1 x Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 111 Grenache 2024 ;
- 1 x Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 112 Grenache 2024 ;
- 1 x Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 113 Grenache 2024.
Available as a 3 Pack, a 6 Pack, or a 12 Bottle Case.
Extremely limited production. Just 360 bottles of each wine.
Fill your glass with this thought and conversation provoking trio.
They'll impress taking pride of place on your table.
Why not gather some friends and open one of each?
#shopsmall
About Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 111 Grenache 2024
111 is the smallest block located at the top of the triangle. The highest altitude wine in the series at 245m to 250m ASL, it showcases finesse and great elegance.
Tasting Note: Crunchy red berry fruit flavours are carried by juicy and crisp acidity. A light to medium body with a lovely purity. The fruit dances along the palate followed by the fine tannins which spread out to provide significant length of flavour.
Click For Tasting Note of Block 111.
About Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 112 Grenache 2024.
112 a larger contour of the triangle, around twice the size of Block 111. The second highest altitude wine in the series at 240m to 245m ASL, it showcases spice, texture and structure.
Tasting Note: Cinnamon and nutmeg spices float from the glass with red berry fruit in support. Tannins are moderate with a cat’s tongue texture and provide a good framework for the flavours through the palate. Acidity is slightly lower than the Block 111 wine which results in a rounder mouthfeel. Flavours linger long on the palate thanks to the good concentration and density of fruit.
Click For Tasting Note of Block 112.
About Aphelion Hickinbotham Series Block 113 Grenache 2024.
113 hugs the base contour of the triangle and is slightly larger in area than 111 + 112 combined. The lowest highest altitude wine in the series, at 235m to 240m ASL, this wine showcases dark fruit, structure and vibrancy.
Tasting Note: The fruit moves into the blue and black spectrum and the body of the wine is medium – the fullest of the trio. Tannins are dense and well-rounded and carry the blackberry and plum fruit long through the palate. Fresh acidity keeps the wine vibrant and light on its feet, but this is undoubtedly the most hedonistic of the three block wines.
Click For Tasting Note of Block 113.
More Information About the Hickinbotham Series
Detailed information about the vineyard, the Blocks, winemaking and resulting wines can be found on the Aphelion blog by clicking here.
Sale
-12%
From $99.00
$112.00
Discover why Aphelion are known as Grenache specialists with this Glorious Grenache 3 Pack.
Sample Grenache three ways with Rob Mack's signature attention to aromatics. Includes a white wine Grenache, the Grenache Blanc.
Introduce a friend to our range or discover us yourself.
A special pack with three Aphelion Cellar Door Best Selling Wines:
- 1 x Aphelion Callow Grenache Blanc 2025 RRP $42;
- 1 x Welkin Grenache 2024 RRP $28;
- 1 x Aphelion Confluence Grenache 2025 RRP $42.
Fill your glass with this classy collection.
They'll impress taking pride of place on your table.
Why not gather some friends and open one of each?
#shopsmall
P.S That's an 11% discount on RRP, just because we would like you to try our Grenache or gift it to someone special!
Get to Know Callow
Grenache Blanc is one of the permissible Chateauneuf du Pape varieties, so is beautifully suited to our McLaren Vale climate. A crisp white full of interest and very worthy of the name 'Grenache'. More information.
Get to Know Welkin Grenache.
We like to call the Welkin Grenache "furiously aromatic". It fairly leaps out of the glass at you! Delicately hand picked from a 20 year old Grenache vineyard towards the sea in Whites Valley. Revel in this wine's light body, heady spiciness and juicy acidity. More Information.
Get to Know Confluence
Our first wine. The one that sparked our passion, and set our reputation for brilliant Grenache. Premium, ancient, twisted bush vine vineyards come together. Winemaking techniques of whole berry ferments, whole bunch ferments, careful pressing converge. Beautiful art and science. Elegant, savoury, delicious. More Information.
Sale
-7%
From $399.00
$428.00
Aphelion Christmas Wine Advent Calendar 2026 | 12 Full-Size Australian Wines, Individually Wrapped
12 DAYS. 12 SURPRISES. ONE VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Some Christmas gifts are opened once. This one keeps the magic going.
Say cheers to someone who deserves something rather wonderful this Christmas.
Forget the waxy supermarket chocolates and tiny bottles of mystery wine. This is Advent for grown-ups who appreciate the good stuff.
Twelve full-sized bottles of Aphelion wine. Twelve beautifully wrapped surprises. Twelve reasons to make moments count.
Each wine has been handpicked by our winemaker Rob Mack, individually wrapped in our signature blue and white tissue paper, and numbered from 1 to 12.
No peeking at the labels. No knowing what's coming next. Just the delicious anticipation of unwrapping something wonderful.
Inside, there's a journey through the wines of our little McLaren Vale family winery, including customer favourites and some special surprises.
One day might call for a long lunch. Another for a quiet glass at the end of a busy afternoon. Another for gathering your favourite people around the table.
And that's the beauty of it. You're not just giving twelve bottles of wine.
You're giving twelve moments to look forward to.
Christmas Special: $399 AUD
Wine value: $428
Plus:
- Complimentary Australia-wide shipping,
- Complimentary festive wrapping; and;
- A Complimentary handwritten gift card.
From Australia's #34 winery - Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries 2026.
Why You'll Love the Aphelion Wine Advent Calendar
- 12 full-sized 750 mL bottles - proper bottles to open, savour and share. No miniature samples here.
- 12 individually wrapped surprises - each bottle lovingly wrapped and numbered, ready for its own moment of discovery.
- Handpicked by Rob Mack - a curated journey through Aphelion wines, from our home in McLaren Vale.
- Premium Aphelion Reds and whites to discover - an exciting mix of different styles, varieties and personalities.
- A few special surprises - a chance to discover wines beyond the everyday favourites.
- Beautifully presented for gifting - with festive wrapping and a handwritten card carrying your personal message.
- Free Australia-wide shipping - or collect your gift from our McLaren Vale cellar door.
And the best part? Every bottle is a surprise.
And there's another reason to celebrate this Christmas.
Aphelion has just been ranked #34 in the Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries of Australia 2026!
Up from #35 in 2025, it's wonderful recognition for our little family winery and the wines Rob makes with such care.
So when you unwrap your twelve Advent surprises, you're discovering wines from one of Australia's most highly regarded wineries, handpicked by the winemaker himself.
Twelve surprises. One award-winning little winery. A whole lot of Bottled Sunshine.
The Joy Is in the Unwrapping
Picture this.
It's the first afternoon of your Christmas holidays. The shopping is finished, the work emails are off, and there's finally time to enjoy yourself.
You reach for bottle number one.
It's wrapped in beautiful blue and white tissue paper, with its own numbered Christmas tag.
What will it be?
You peel back the paper, discover your first Aphelion wine and decide what delicious thing you'll cook to go with it.
Tomorrow, there's another bottle waiting.
And another after that.
Perhaps you'll discover a new favourite. Perhaps you'll unwrap a wine you've been wanting to try. Perhaps you'll find exactly the right bottle for the friends who've just dropped by.
Every day brings a little anticipation, a little discovery and another reason to celebrate.
Because Christmas magic shouldn't be reserved for children.
When Do Your Twelve Days of Christmas Begin?
Here's the lovely thing about our Wine Advent Calendar.
There are no rules. You do Advent your way.
The Traditionalist
1 - 12 December
Start the festive season early with twelve days of delicious anticipation.
The Christmas Countdown
14 - 25 December
Build the excitement right up to Christmas Day, with one final bottle to unwrap for the big celebration.
The Holiday Indulger
25 December - 5 January
The rush is over. The holidays have begun. Twelve days of sunshine, leftovers, friends and wonderful wine.
The Slow and Steady Celebrator
Every second day, 1 - 23 December
Twelve discoveries spread across the lead-up to Christmas, with plenty of time to enjoy each one.
Or forget the schedule entirely.
Open a bottle whenever you have something to celebrate, someone to share it with, or simply a quiet moment worth enjoying.
Your calendar. Your Christmas. Your moments.
What's Inside? That's Part of the Magic.
We're keeping the exact line-up under wraps.
After all, what fun would twelve beautifully wrapped bottles be if we told you what was inside?
What we can tell you is that Rob has selected twelve different Aphelion wines to take you on a delicious journey through our range.
Expect a wonderful mix of red and white wines, familiar favourites, intriguing varieties and a few special discoveries along the way.
From bright and refreshing to fragrant, savoury and wonderfully complex, each bottle brings something different to your festive table.
All twelve are full-sized bottles, made with the care and attention you'd expect from our family winery.
And not one of them will reveal its identity until you're ready to unwrap it.
Pssst! Absolutely desperate to know what's inside before you buy? Email our winery and we'll quietly share the list. We promise not to spoil the surprise for everyone else.
A Gift They'll Remember Long After Christmas
We all have someone who's rather difficult to buy for.
The wine lover who already has a well-stocked cellar. The friend who insists they don't need anything. The parents who have everything. The partner who deserves something more thoughtful than another last-minute present.
Here's your answer.
Not one gift. Twelve.
Twelve beautifully wrapped bottles, each waiting for its moment.
A surprise to open after work. A new wine to share over dinner. A bottle to take to the beach house. Something special for Christmas lunch. Something delicious for a quiet evening together.
And every time they unwrap another bottle, they'll remember the person who gave it to them.
That's a rather lovely way to say thank you, I love you, or simply, you deserve this.
Beautifully Wrapped. Personally Given.
We believe the experience of receiving a gift should be every bit as special as what's inside.
That's why we don't simply put twelve bottles into a box and call it an Advent Calendar.
Every bottle is individually hand-wrapped in our signature blue and white tissue paper, then finished with its own numbered Advent tag.
Each bottle becomes a little present in its own right.
And because the most meaningful gifts are personal, we'll include a handwritten card with your own message to the recipient.
From our family winery to someone special in your life, with a little extra care along the way.
All the festive magic. None of the wrapping-paper chaos at your kitchen table.
Twelve Bottles of Bottled Sunshine for $399
Good Christmas gifts should feel generous. This one really is.
The twelve wines in your Advent Calendar have a combined individual retail value of $428.
Our special Christmas collection price is:
$399 AUD
That's a $29 saving on the wines themselves.
And we're including the finishing touches:
- FREE Australia-wide shipping
- FREE individual festive wrapping and numbering of all twelve bottles
- FREE handwritten card with your personal message
- FREE cellar door collection if you'd prefer to pick it up in person
Twelve full-sized wines. Twelve individually wrapped surprises. One rather extraordinary Christmas present.
All for $399.
Made for the Table. And the Moments Around It.
Goes With Food
Christmas leftovers that turn into the best lunch of the year.
Someone brings out the ham. Someone else finds a beautiful cheese in the fridge. There's a bowl of cherries, a loaf of good bread and absolutely no intention of cooking anything complicated.
Then someone suggests opening today's Advent wine.
Suddenly the leftovers become an occasion, and nobody's looking at the clock.
Goes With Music
Wham! - Last Christmas.
Go on. You know every word.
There's a time for serious wine appreciation, and there's a time for singing along to Christmas music while unwrapping a bottle in the kitchen.
This is very much the latter.
Turn it up. Pour generously. Let the festive spirit take over.
Goes With Life
The wonderfully ordinary moments that become Christmas memories.
A long-awaited catch-up with an old friend. The first afternoon when everyone is finally home. A spontaneous invitation to stay for dinner. A quiet evening on the verandah as the sun goes down.
There are twelve opportunities waiting inside this box to turn those little moments into something memorable.
Make Moments Count.
Buy Direct from the Aphelion Family Winery
Aphelion is the little family winery created by winemaker Rob Mack and Louise Mack in McLaren Vale, South Australia.
Since our first vintage in 2014, we've been making small-batch wines with a particular love for Grenache, remarkable vineyards and the joy of sharing good wine with good people.
In 2026, Aphelion was named number 34 in the Halliday Top 100 Wineries of Australia.
When you buy direct from our family winery, you're supporting the people who grow, make, wrap and send your wines with care.
And when you give an Aphelion Advent Calendar, you're sharing a little piece of our world with someone special.
From our family to yours, have a wonderful Christmas.
Christmas Gift Details
What's Included in the Advent Calendar? +
Your Aphelion Christmas Wine Advent Calendar includes:
- 12 different full-size 750 mL bottles of Aphelion wine
- A handpicked selection of red and white wines
- Individual blue and white festive wrapping for every bottle
- Numbered Advent tags from 1 to 12
- A handwritten card with your personal message
- Complimentary Australia-wide shipping or cellar door collection
The exact wine selection is intentionally kept secret so that every bottle is a surprise.
Total wine volume: 9 litres.
How Do I Include a Personal Gift Message? +
Include your personal Christmas message in the gift message field or order notes at checkout.
We'll handwrite your message on a card to accompany the Advent Calendar.
If you're sending it directly to someone special, enter their delivery address at checkout.
Shipping, Collection and Christmas Delivery +
Complimentary Australia-wide shipping is included with your Advent Calendar, subject to applicable wine delivery restrictions.
You can also choose to collect your gift from the Aphelion cellar door at 67 Kays Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia.
Christmas delivery cut-off dates will be confirmed closer to December. We recommend ordering early to allow sufficient time for hand-wrapping and delivery.
Delivery before Christmas is subject to dispatch dates, destination and carrier schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Advent Calendar wines full-sized bottles?
Yes. Every bottle is a full-size 750 mL bottle of Aphelion wine. There are twelve bottles in total, not miniature samples.
Will I know which wines are included before opening them?
No. The exact selection is kept secret to preserve the surprise. Every bottle is individually wrapped and numbered from 1 to 12. If you'd prefer to know the contents before buying, contact our winery privately.
Can I send the Advent Calendar as a Christmas gift?
Absolutely. Enter your recipient's delivery address and include your personal message at checkout. We'll prepare the individually wrapped wines and include a handwritten card.
Do I have to open the wines on 1 to 12 December?
Not at all. Enjoy them on any twelve days you choose. Popular options include 1 to 12 December, 14 to 25 December, or 25 December to 5 January.
