Story
British-born James Thomas was previously assistant winemaker at Bannockburn Vineyards and then head winemaker at Clyde Park.
In 2016, he found a mature vineyard, well off the beaten track, in the Otways. Outside of any official wine region (situated between the Geelong and Henty GIs), it was a risky move, but the vineyard showed remarkable promise; a warm site in a very cool climate, the vines showing healthy, balanced canopies and yields.
Recognising its potential, James and his wife Eloise, took a long-term lease on the vineyard and renamed it “Heroes” after David Bowie’s anthem of hope, struggle, and freedom. From that beginning, every decision made in the vineyard and winery has been to pursue excellence and faithfully convey the site’s terroir.
Vineyard
“Heroes” Vineyard is situated on the unceded lands of the Gadubanud and Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation and we pay respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise and honour First Nations peoples and their spiritual connection to Country, community and culture, acknowledging their land stewardship across time and generations.
The 10-acre “Heroes” Vineyard was first planted in 1999 to Pinot Noir (MV6 clone), Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz. Chardonnay was added in 2013 and in 2021 it was decided that the Shiraz – often too late ripening in this cool climate – be grafted over to Pinot Noir (Abel clone).
It sits on a north-facing slope of Tertiary marine deposits, with sandy clay loams over highly penetrable clay and weathered sandstone. Roots grow deep into the subsoil and weathered rock material, and the vineyard is unirrigated, with an optimal average rainfall of 780mm.
Organic Practices
The vineyard is farmed organically, and with zero till to foster the best possible soil microbiology.
The focus is on balanced vines and ultra-low yields, with the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay cropping at 0.8-1.3-tonnes to the acre, Riesling around 1.5 tonnes/acre, and Sauvignon Blanc around 2 tonnes/acre.
All are dry grown, with the original irrigation (only used once to establish the new plantings) fully removed; typical of James’ uncompromising, no-turning-back approach. No synthetic pesticides are used, only organic preparations.
Hand pruning for canopy management, and under vine mowing and grazing herds control growth during winter.
Anti-Hero Vineyards
James also manages the four-acre Yeowarra Hill Vineyard in the Otway Hinterland (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) which he has now converted to organic management.
He sources fruit from Coola Road, Mount Gambier (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), and Cobboboonee Vineyard, Henty (Pinot Meunier) for the Anti-Heroes and Deeds Not Words labels.
These vineyards are not organically farmed but grown with low-intervention practices. Each site is cool climate and maritime influenced by the Southern Ocean.
Winery
The winemaking focuses on restraint, precision, and age-worthiness. All ferments use indigenous yeasts.
Typically, whites are whole bunch pressed before ferment, with no fining. The reds typically use some whole bunches (10-30%) and hand destemming. They are never fined and often bottled without filtration, depending on the season.
The wines are matured in new and old French oak (incl. Tremeaux, François Frères, Damy, and Vicard). There are no additions except sulphur.
In terms of style, the approach has been an incremental evolution, rather than radical reinvention. While the early vintages impressed and have proved to age well, James feels that a decade of patience, gradual honing, and slow improvement have taken the latest vintages “to a new level for us – wines that compete with the best of type in Australia.”
Cool Climate
The Otways have a cool to very cool climate, depending on elevation. Though situated quite close to Geelong, in terms of climate, the closest comparison Australian wine region is Northern Tasmania.
The vineyard sits at 190m elevation, with the Southern Ocean 15km south. It receives a mix of maritime and continental influences. The maritime effect is felt more in the shoulder seasons, with wintery cold fronts and rain often persisting well into Spring and returning early to herald wintery weather in Autumn.
In summer, the weather pattern is more continental, with the afternoon sea breezes often blocked by the Otway ranges (Mount Cowley, at 670m is the highest point, and lies almost directly between the vineyard and the ocean), so warm days and cool nights are the norm.
The growing season is very long, which allows time for the grapes to develop complex phenolics, aromatics and flavour compounds. Natural acidity is also preserved, and the “Heroes” wines are never acidified. Harvest usually occurs between mid-March and mid-April.
Unlike inland cool-climate regions, which might be lucky to experience Indian summers where useful ripening conditions might persist into late April or even early May, in the Otways, wintery cold fronts have usually returned by this time, and there is little meaningful ripening to be found this late in the season, favouring Pinot Noir and other early ripening varieties.