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Clonakilla Vineyard, Canberra District Tim Kirk

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  • Clonakilla Vineyard, Canberra District

    Clonakilla is one of Australia’s most significant wine estates and the founding vineyard of the Canberra District, planted in 1971 by Dr John Kirk AM and today managed by his son Tim Kirk. The 19-hectare property at Murrumbateman – 600 metres above sea level, 40 kilometres north of Canberra – grows shiraz, viognier, riesling, pinot noir, grenache, mourvedre, cinsault, roussanne and several Bordeaux varieties on sandy clay loams over decomposed granitic subsoil, in a cool continental climate defined by warm days, cold nights and a long ripening season. The estate’s flagship shiraz viognier, first made in 1992, is widely regarded as one of the great Australian reds and the wine that established the shiraz-viognier co-fermentation as a serious mode of expression in this country.

  • 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.

  • Mount Majura, Canberra District

    Winemaker Dr Frank van de Loo and viticulturist Leo Quirk work hand in glove at the Canberra District’s Mount Majura to make wines from the ground up with a focus on sustainable viticulture that is perpetually modified based on careful observation and analysis. While the regional heroes of riesling and shiraz are lead varieties for the estate, ‘alternative’ varieties are given ample airtime. Tempranillo, in particular, has found a special home on the steep limestone and volcanic rock slope, with single block wines neatly showing the nuances of site.

  • Ravensworth Vineyard, Canberra District

    For over 15 years, Bryan Martin was Tim Kirk’s righthand man at the towering icon of the Canberra District that is Clonakilla. That was while establishing his own Ravensworth label, which now twinkles just as brightly in the region’s firmament of stars. Martin now devotes all his time to tending the vines and making wine from his own site, just down the road from the Kirk’s property, as well as from selected vineyards in the Canberra district. That home site has 13 varieties across 3.3 hectares, with the regional leaders – shiraz and riesling – sharing the spotlight with sangiovese, along with a brace of French and Italian whites and newer plantings of gamay and nebbiolo. Martin hasn’t used synthetic chemicals for a decade, farming with an unwavering focus on soil health and microbial life to better express the signature of site.

  • Lake George, Canberra District

    Anthony and Sarah McDougall are the current stewards of Lake George Winery, one of the Canberra Districts first vineyards. Founded by the legendary Dr Edgar Riek, the site was planted with chardonnay, semillon, riesling, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, though that composition has been tweaked over the years, with varieties such as tempranillo, viognier and pinot gris joining the roster. Today, the McDougalls have moved away from synthetic herbicides and are busy employing innovative options to reduce their imprint on the environment, as well as ensure long-term economic viability.

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