NSW/ACT Archives - Young Gun of Wine

Barwang Vineyard, Hilltops

In the heart of the Hilltops region, Barwang Vineyard emerges as a testament to innovation and resilience in Australian viticulture. Founded in 1969, the site was purchased in 2021 by the Bowman family, whose farming roots in the area span six generations, and is led today by James Bowman with vineyard manager Scott Douglas. The vineyard grows not only its own esteemed Barwang wines but also plays a pivotal role as a supplier of premium grapes to notable labels including Brokenwood, Hungerford Hill, Lerida Estate, Nick O’Leary, Collector, Eden Road, and more. At a time when the industry sees many moving away from vineyard ownership, the Bowman family’s foray into grape growing exemplifies a bold faith in the future of viticulture, integrating this new challenge into their diversified farming enterprise. Their approach showcases a thoughtful stewardship of a significant 100ha site, underpinned by sustainable practices such as mixed farming, composting, mulching, and native tree regeneration.

Freeman – Altura Vineyard, Hilltops

Perched at 600 metres in the elevated terrains of Hilltops NSW, the Freeman Altura Vineyard stands as a beacon of grapevine diversity. Spearheaded by the visionary Dr. Brian Freeman, this vineyard encapsulates a pioneering spirit. With plantings ranging from 1975 to the present, the vineyard spans 28 hectares, showcasing 20 varieties at last count, from the classics including chardonnay and shiraz, to Italian stars nebbiolo and sangiovese, to the little known and obscure – aleatico, furmint, harslevelu, rondinella – among others. The Freeman Altura Vineyard is just one of several Freeman vineyards within a 10km radius, with just 1% of the Freeman grape production selected for their own branded products which range from $25 through to $95 per wine. The rest of their grape production is sold to over 15 other winemakers, including Hungerford Hill, Mada, Nick Spencer, Lerida Estate, Charles Sturt, Mercer Wines, Brokenwood, and Ravensworth.

Stockman’s Ridge Vineyard, Orange

Building on the experience of his first vineyard in the Central Ranges, Jonathan Hambrook looked to the high-altitude cold climate of the Orange region for his next site. The viticulture at Stockman’s Ridge, planted from 2012, reflects Hambrook’s thoughtful approach. This includes a focus on repairing soils to the cultivation of a diverse 6-hectare vineyard planted with a density of approximately 3,400 vines per hectare. The selection of varieties is both traditional and exploratory, featuring pinot noir, shiraz, zinfandel, cabernet franc, merlot, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, and grüner veltliner – the latter of which represents a pioneering planting in the region.

Winmark Wines, Broke Fordwich

The Hunter Valley’s Winmark Wines is a chardonnay specialist, with even the Hunter stalwart variety semillon making way to render the site pure in its pursuit of the Burgundian variety across its 11.33 hectares of vines. Once the home of Poole’s Rock and a raft of critically revered chardonnays from the 2000s, the site fell into neglect around 2011 until being rescued in 2016 and resurrected over the following years to now produce a suite of Winmark chardonnays from the relatively accessible to the distinctly premium. The site is managed by Liz Riley and Dave Gosser.

Scarborough Wine Co. – Hermitage Road Vineyard, Hunter Valley

The Scarborough Wine Co. has five vineyard sites in the Hunter Valley, with the Hermitage Road Vineyard acquired in 2007. The vineyard has been lovingly revitalised from the former conventional approach by partners in life and vines Liz Riley and Jerome Scarborough, who is also the winemaker. Sustainability is the central pillar of the operation, with a push to close the loop on waste and increase biodiversity in and around the vineyard blocks. In the 15 years under their stewardship, the improvement in soil health and structure and the increase in fruit quality has been palpable. The vineyard supplies fruit for both the Scarborough and Offshoots range, as well as to some other makers.

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.

Keith Tulloch Wine – Field of Mars Vineyard, Hunter Valley

Field of Mars is the Keith Tulloch Wine home vineyard. Planted mostly to over 50-year-old vines on alluvial soils in Pokolbin, it rubs shoulders with some of the Hunter’s most revered semillon sites. Sustainability is a key driver of the estate, from the farming to re-establishing native scrub to using only recycled packaging for their wine. The site is run by vineyard manager Brent Hutton, with it producing premium single block varietal wines from chardonnay, shiraz, viognier and semillon in the Field of Mars range.

Barwang Vineyard, Hilltops James Bowman & Scott Douglas