NSW/ACT Archives - Young Gun of Wine

Tumblong Hills

Gundagai is arguably Australia’s final viticultural frontier – our most recently gazetted wine region, and one whose potential remains to be fully explored. It’s fitting, then, that the vineyard leading its development is one helmed by an inveterate viticultural explorer – and is also one that is also on its own journey of redefinition, from a source of bulk shiraz for large producers to a model of soil health and sustainability which grows grapes for a roster of small independent makers. Tumblong Hills’ original 200 hectares of shiraz and cabernet vines are in the process of downsizing and conversion with an eye to a changing wine market – with fiano, chenin blanc, nebbiolo, nero d’avola, sangiovese, vermentino, pinot gris, xarel·lo, zibibbo, and even seed potatoes all set to play an important role in its future.

Mount View Estate

Mount View Estate is a vineyard steeped in Hunter Valley wine history. Established by famed viticulturist Dr. Harry Tulloch in 1971, who was attracted to the quality of its red basalt volcanic soils over limestone bedrock, it formerly served as an open-air laboratory for clonal trials. Since then it has transformed into a fully-fledged wine label, now under the direction of winemaker and viticulturist Scott Stephens. The approximately five hectares of shiraz, semillon, pinot noir, verdelho, and durif here are mostly old vines from Tulloch’s initial planting – but that doesn’t mean that vineyard management here is old-school. Instead, Mount View Estate is a case study in how older vineyards can be brought into the twenty-first century using the principles of sustainability and sensitive viticulture.

Krinklewood Vineyard

Krinklewood’s commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture would be laudable in any of Australia’s wine regions – but in the humid and warm Hunter Valley, where downy mildew and grey rot can run amok, it’s nothing short of revolutionary. The label is also a pioneer of this form of winegrowing within the Hunter region, commencing conversion in 2002 – at a time when such ideas were at the fringe – and achieving ACO organic biodynamic in 2007. The vineyard currently comprises six and a half hectares of semillon, chardonnay, gewürztraminer and shiraz, stewarded by viticulturist Chris Martin.

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.

Tallavera Grove Vineyard, Hunter Valley

Can you have the best of both worlds – the funky swagger of alternative varieties, matched with the soulful intensity of old vines. Jeremy O’Brien’s thoughtful grafting work at Briar Ridge’s Hunter estate vineyard, Tallavera Grove, argues that you can, in fact, have it all. This thirty-two hectare vineyard, planted on a mosaic of different soils over limestone bedrock, is home to old vines of shiraz, semillon and chardonnay, planted in 1971 – supplemented by new plantings and graft-overs of verdelho, fiano, vermentino, albariño, sagrantino, montepulciano, nero d’avola, petit verdot, muscat, tempranillo, and riesling. The end result is a vineyard that maintains its old-vine soulfulness while being able to meet the changing demands of the consumer market and mitigate against a warming climate.

Tyrrell’s – Short Flat Vineyard, Hunter Valley

Short Flat Vineyard is as close as Australia has to a Grand Cru equivalent – a family-owned, dry-grown site with vines dating to 1923, producing wines that have helped define Hunter Valley semillon, shiraz and chardonnay across decades. Spanning 12.51 hectares of sandy loam and red clay at 110 metres above sea level, the vineyard underpins Tyrrell’s most iconic bottlings: Vat 1 Semillon ($115), Vat 9 Shiraz ($115), Vat 47 Chardonnay ($110), the Short Flat Old Vine Chardonnay ($90) and the shiraz component of Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet ($110). All vines are on their own roots. Viticulturist Brent Hutton manages the site with the particular attentiveness that old vines demand – close observation, incremental change, nothing blanket – while bringing a quietly restless willingness to challenge how such sites have traditionally been managed.

Thomas Wines – Braemore Vineyard, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley

In Pokolbin, at the heart of the Hunter Valley, Braemore Vineyard thrives as a 55-year-old testament to semillon’s quiet power. First planted in 1969 across six hectares of a 10-hectare property, this shrine to semillon – worked by Ken Bray and father–son duo Andrew and Daniel Thomas – turns out grapes that bottle a region’s soul. Lively and fresh in its youth, Thomas Wines’ Braemore Semillon is burnished by time to achieve great depth in its later life as the Cellar Reserve Braemore Semillon. The Braemore vineyard is a place where ancient vines, river-wrought soils, and a family’s steady hands weave wines brimming with place.

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.

Tumblong Hills Simon Robertson