2021 Archives - Page 3 of 26 - Young Gun of Wine

Weathercraft – Jones Ridge, Beechworth

Raquel and Hugh Jones made their tree change from busy city careers in 2014, buying a Beechworth vineyard and launching their Weathercraft label in 2016. The vineyard had been set up in 1998 for premium wine production. It was a conventionally managed site, but the couple were intent on more natural methods. The shiraz-dominant vineyard has since been tilted towards Iberian varieties, with tempranillo and albariño joining the roster across almost 6 hectares. By focusing on soil health, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides have been eliminated, with natural methods of pest and weed management employed. Once all going to high-end contract clients, the fruit is now all used for the Weathercraft label.

Ten Minutes by Tractor – Spedding, Mornington Peninsula

Ten Minutes by Tractor’s reputation is built on articulating the differences between their four key vineyards with single-vineyard expressions of chardonnay and pinot noir, along with broader regional expressions and separate bottlings that reflect the lower elevation sites as well as higher elevation sites of the Mornington Peninsula. In 2016, they planted arguably the boldest venture for the region, with a high-density planting of pinot noir across just under 1.5 hectares. And while those vines are too young to turn out a single site offering, the early results are creating considerable excitement amongst the viticulture and winemaking teams.

Solitude Estate, Yarra Valley

Greg Kerr’s Solitude Estate may not be a familiar name to many, but its former moniker, Tibooburra Vineyard, will likely ring bells for Yarra Valley enthusiasts. The fruit from the Upper Yarra site is made into wine under Kerr’s estate label but it has also notably contributed to the wines of some of the Yarra’s leading small makers: Gary Mills (Jamsheed), Andrew Marks (The Wanderer), Luke Lambert (Lambert) and Jayden Ong (One Block). While chardonnay and pinot noir are the key varieties, a ’90s roll of the dice on shiraz has also seen the grape star on the 29-hectare vineyard.

Seppelt – Drumborg, Henty

The Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard is a significant one. Home to one of this country’s greatest rieslings, the site in south-western Victoria is also acclaimed for varietal bottlings of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The very cool marginal climate presents numerous viticultural challenges, but it also positions the site as one for premium fruit and premium wines. With a quarter of a century at the viticultural helm, Larry Sadler employs the collective knowledge of his long-serving team and a close relationship with the winemakers in producing the highest quality fruit across over 90 hectares of vines.

Lethbridge, Geelong

For almost a decade, Ray Nadeson and Maree Collis juggled the demands of establishing and running a vineyard and caring for a young family, while also maintaining careers as research scientists – both have PhDs, in medicine and chemistry respectively. In 2003, Lethbridge became their permanent home and focus, with a vineyard-first approach driving them to implement biodynamic principles (not certified) and pursue soil health through a proactive evolution of their methods to evolve their practices to suit their site. All the wines are made onsite by Nadeson, with the home vineyard the source of all their Estate, Single Block and Reserve wines.

Lake Moodemere Vineyard, Rutherglen

Lake Moodemere Estate is planted to red soils on an ancient riverbed of the Murray in Victoria’s historic Rutherglen region. The site has been in the Chambers family for five generations, with the first vines planted in the 1800s – though they did not see the next century due to phylloxera. A long history of focusing on sustainability has been enhanced as the years go by, with a symbiotic relationship with their mixed farming and vineyard operations of mutual benefit. The property abuts the Moodemere Reserve, with dense bushland providing a rich habitat for beneficial insects and native wildlife, which in league with their sustainable practices (including cover crops that were first implemented in the 1970s) eliminated insecticide use 40 years ago. The fruit goes to making estate wines – sparkling, table and fortified – which are made onsite and served in their lakeside restaurant, which is supplied by their farm, using everything from wheat to lamb, vegetables, fruit and honey. Joel Chambers is the vineyard manager.

Cobaw Ridge, Macedon Ranges

Perched high in the granitic cool of Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, Cobaw Ridge is a certified biodynamic vineyard specialising in varietal bottlings of chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah and lagrein, as well as a syrah rosé that is often touted as one of the best in the land. Alan Cooper has always farmed sympathetically, but it is since the conversion to organics, then biodynamics that he believes the vine resilience, fruit quality, depth of flavour and expression of site has dramatically improved.

Starrs Reach, Riverland

The Riverland has long been the bulk wine heart of South Australia, with growers churning out cheap fruit pumped up with irrigation. And while the region will likely always serve this function, the script is being rewritten by players like Starrs Reach, who both sell premium fruit and make wine under their own label. Sheridan Alm runs the operation with a focus on minimal inputs, sustainability and restoring non-vineyard land, including Mallee scrub, wetlands and floodplains. With grenache and mataro core varieties, Alm is intent on proving that the Riverland can focus on quality on a large scale, growing grapes that suit modern wine styles that focus on bright fruit flavours and freshness.

Weathercraft – Jones Ridge, Beechworth Raquel Jones