Family & History
"The family behind the rise and rise of Coriole typify Australian winemakers’ quest to explore all the world of wine has to offer, trialling, adapting and perfecting new varieties. The Lloyds could have easily settled for producing some of the best old-vine shiraz and grenache in The Vale but spread their wings to sangiovese in the 1980s and are now also having great success with the Italian white fiano and are getting serious about the Languedoc’s picpoul. Coriole was also early to adopt chenin blanc, a crisp summer wine from France’s Loire Valley." - The Australian, 22 February 2023
The traditional Indigenous owners of the land where McLaren Vale now sits, the Kaurna people, have lived and nurtured the land for thousands of years before European settlement.
Vines were first planted in the McLaren Vale region in 1838. The McLaren Vale wine companies have formed a close and supportive community that work on cooperatively together to make this region what it is today. Records show that vines were first planted at the Coriole site as far back as 1875.
Coriole was established by the Lloyd family in the 1960s. The Chaffeys Road estate in McLaren Vale, which had 12 acres under vines, was purchased in 1967 by Hugh and Mary Kathleen "Molly" Lloyd. Hugh and Molly named the estate "Coriole" released the first wine in 1969. The Lloyd family continues to manage and develop the Coriole estate with the third generation now at the helm.
Shiraz is the great tradition of McLaren Vale going back over 150 years, and is the major variety planted at Coriole. Alongside shiraz, cabernet, grenache and chenin blanc, Coriole produces alternative varieties such as piquepuol, nero d’avola, montepulciano and negroamaro. Coriole has been a pioneer of Italian varieties since 1985, with the oldest sangiovese and fiano vineyards in Australia.
Many alternative varieties planted at Coriole were championed by Mark Lloyd, who managed Coriole for 40 years until 2020. Mark also established olive oil and olive production at Coriole.
Coriole manages small vineyards in the sub-regions of Blewitt Springs, Willunga and McLaren Flat providing a range of different terroir to work with.
General Manager Peter Lloyd grew up amongst the vineyards alongside his brother Duncan, who is now Coriole’s Senior Winemaker.
Read more:
100 year old vines older than first thought
Mark Lloyd wins Len Evans Leadership Award
Where does the name "Coriole" come from?
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Coriole in 1969
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Paul, Tim, Guy, Molly, Hugh, Ann and Mark Lloyd
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Mark, Duncan and Peter Lloyd