Vineyard & Sustainability
The “Heroes” vineyard has 8 acres under vine, with Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and a new planting of Chardonnay.
The soils are derived from the Tertiary sandstone/siltstone which makes up most of the Otway ranges, 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 average annual rainfall of 780mm.
The vines are 100% organically grown (currently working towards certification), with no synthetic pesticides used. We strive to go further than this and reduce even ‘allowed’ organic inputs to an absolute minimum. This involves a holistic approach to all aspects of farming from the tactile to the microscopic, particularly focusing on soil life and health, insect/pest interactions, and the use of beneficial fungi and bacteria in combating disease.
Many of our techniques are slightly unconventional, but we are very transparent about what we do, and happy to share what we have learned. So, for the like-minded, or those just curious for more information please feel free to get in touch.
Winemaking
The vineyard gives us the opportunity to make wines with minimal intervention, naturally reflecting the site or terroir. Typically, the whites are whole bunch pressed before fermenting naturally with no finings or additions except Sulphur.
Similarly, reds ferment naturally with wild yeast, and generally involve the inclusion of some whole bunches. They are not fined or filtered. (A note on Sulphur… Using Sulphur is vital in ensuring that the wines will last in your cellar, in some cases for decades. All of our wines contain levels below the organic threshold.)