Finalist Archives - Page 4 of 18 - Young Gun of Wine

Lark Hill Vineyard, Canberra District

David and Sue Carpenter’s Lark Hill Vineyard is one of Canberra’s pioneering sites, planted at significant elevation in Bungendore, 30 km north-east of Canberra. The coolness of the site precludes the region’s most planted red variety, shiraz, but it is ideally suited for riesling and other cold adapted varieties, including grüner veltliner. The viticulture has been certified biodynamic for a decade and a half, with Dr David Carpenter leading the team amongst the vines. In 2002, David and Sue’s son, Chris, joined the team, working both in the vineyard and taking the reins with the wines. The vineyard is responsible for wines under the Lark Hill Vineyard designate (they also work from their Murrumbateman vineyard, called Dark Horse, as well as sourcing some fruit for regional expressions), from sparkling wine through textural and aromatic whites to pinot noir.

Dark Horse Vineyard

The Dark Horse Vineyard is in arguably the Canberra District’s most famous viticultural area, Murrumbateman. Purchased by Lark Hill’s Carpenter family in 2011 largely for its shiraz plantings, sangiovese has emerged as a perhaps surprising hero, resulting in the subsequent inclusions of other Italian grapes, both of northern and southern origin. The site has been certified biodynamic for just on a decade, with an ever-increasing focus on sustainability both for the vineyard and business operations. The wines – currently made from shiraz, sangiovese, marsanne and viognier – appear under the Lark Hill banner with the ‘Dark Horse Vineyard’ designate declared.

Savina Lane Vineyard, Granite Belt

The Savina Lane Vineyard is a cool site in the sunny state of Queensland, with its suitability to grape-growing owing to the lofty elevation and the distinctive soils of the Granite Belt. Brad and Cheryl Hutchings work with old-vine shiraz – some of the region’s first vines – and a clutch of less-common varieties, including fiano and graciano. They farm with a carefully tailored organic nutrition program that saw a previously somewhat mismanaged vineyard slip into natural balance three years after they bought the property. That push towards revitalisation also extends beyond the 3.4-hectare vineyards, with a native replanting program aimed at rewilding the remaining 20-odd hectares.

Yangarra – High Sands Vineyard, McLaren Vale

The beating heart of the lauded Yangarra Estate Vineyard is the collection of bush vine grenache that was planted a year after the cessation of hostilities in World War II. That vineyard accounts for over a quarter of the old vine grenache in McLaren Vale. It’s not that long ago that this might have been seen as a liability, but with the grape’s star truly on the rise, it represents one of the most precious resources in the Vale. And that growing consumer appreciation for the grape has been heavily influenced by the wines made by Pete Fraser from fruit farmed by Michael Lane, with over a decade and a half of biodynamic management and deep focus on regenerative agriculture and sustainability. The High Sands Vineyard is a 1.7-hectare section on deep sands at the highest elevation, which produces exceptional and distinct fruit that goes to make Yangarra’s flagship ‘High Sands’ bottling.

Vinteloper Vineyard, Adelaide Hills

Originally working only with sourced fruit, David Bowley’s Vinteloper found a home vineyard in the Adelaide Hills only for it to be savaged by fire in 2019. Restoring those lost vines is a demanding project, but it goes hand in hand with his process of regenerative agriculture of both vineyard and non-vineyard land. Extensive planting of native flora, a considered water management strategy and solar power for all electricity needs are all part of Bowley’s approach that is tilted to sustainability on both a local and larger scale, while constantly pushing for quality gains. The site is responsible for the ‘Home’ Shiraz and a pinot noir, shiraz and pinot gris in the Vinteloper ‘White Label’ range.

Sutton Grange Vineyard, Bendigo

The Sutton Grange Winery vineyard is a few years into its third decade, growing French and Italian varieties in the granitic soils that surround Mount Alexander. Those soils lend the wines a distinct character, which is enhanced by foundational sympathetic farming incorporating organic and biodynamic practices (not certified). The vineyard has the oldest aglianico vines in Australia, while Sutton Grange were also early adopters of fiano and have long flown the flag for elegant, mineral and spicy syrah. Today, the vineyard is managed by Sue Hamilton.

Seppelt Great Western Vineyard, Great Western

The Seppelt Great Western is the oldest continuous wine producer in the Grampians region, with the historic winery sitting atop a kilometre and a half of 19th century tunnels used for maturing wine. While Seppelt has other vineyards in the region, along with elsewhere, the 100-odd hectares of mainly shiraz that wrap around the winery is the heart of the Great Western operation, providing fruit for their pinnacle wines, including the benchmark ‘Show Sparkling’ Shiraz’ and flagship ‘St Peters’ Shiraz. Although the vineyard was replanted in the 1960s – meaning there are no ancient vines – it is the heritage clonal material and nuanced management techniques that set the Great Western Vineyard apart. The vineyard has been tended by James McKenzie since 2017

Granjoux Vineyard, Beechworth

The Granjoux vineyard is the passion project of Peter Bartholomew and Donna Pelka, inspired by the research and ongoing input of legendary viticulturist Mark Walpole. Just outside of Beechworth, the relatively steep site had been planted in the 1860s, with the only remnants of that occupation the durable dry-stone walls and ruin of a winery. Armed with historical records, the trio embarked on both honouring the history and fine-tuning the methods to densely plant an individually staked vineyard that is in part inspired by the vineyards of the Northern Rhône, for both viticulture and varieties, but also committed to the regional star, chardonnay.

Lark Hill Vineyard, Canberra District Dr David Carpenter