Blue Pyrenees Estate, Pyrenees
Founded in 1963 by French Cognac house Rémy Martin as Château Rémy, Blue Pyrenees Estate was among the first vineyards to revive winemaking in Victoria after phylloxera, and played a defining role in establishing the Pyrenees as a premium wine region. Today 100 per cent Australian-owned by the Richmond-Smith family and managed by viticulturist Scott Gerrard, the 147-hectare estate near Avoca grows 15 varieties across 55 individual blocks – elevations from 260 to 330 metres, soils ranging from gravelly valley-floor sands to quartz and sandstone on elevated slopes, and vines with an average age of 39 years. The estate is transitioning to organic management and produces a broad range of estate-grown sparkling, white and red wines, anchored by the flagship Richardson Reserve Shiraz and Richardson Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($160).
