The vineyard site certainly has some history, though its break in operations has been vast, with it originally planted in the early 1860s by Frenchman Ambrose Granjoux (his surname is variously spelled in historical records). He produced wine from those vines, as evidenced in a 1865 newspaper advertisement that listed chasselas, riesling, carignan, malbec, tokay and muscat for sale, but he also had plantings of scyras (shiraz/syrah – the misspelling originates from the original cataloguing of the Busby Collection) and made something called ‘Colonial Claret’, likely a multi-pronged blend.
That cutting, and an image that shows the walled-in vineyard – or ‘clos’, as it’s called in France – was uncovered by legendary viticulturist Mark Walpole who has significant interest in Victoria’s north-east. Aside from his well-documented work with Brown Brothers, then his seminal role in founding Heathcote’s Greenstone to his Fighting Gully Road label and countless key consultancy roles, Walpole’s family roots go back to the 1880s on a grazing property (with a vineyard, of course) at Whorouly in the Alpine Valleys.
That early photograph documented an almost lost piece of history, with the small winery – made of the same stacked stone that hems in the vineyard – razed by fire not long after it was taken, and Granjoux packing it all in in 1872 to return to France (a sale listing forming another part of Walpole’s detective work). Though the walls persist, and even the ruins of winery and sunken cellars have resisted the elements, the image both pinpointed the use of the property and the relatively dense planting, with each vine supported by individual stakes.
The vineyard site, which sits on a hilltop above Beechworth Gorge, was acquired in 2016 by acclaimed restaurateur and investor Peter Bartholomew (Movida, Lee Ho Fook, Rosa’s Canteen, Coda, Tonka…) and partner Donna Pelka. Along with Walpole, they planted the 1.1-hectare site in 2017 with a tight spacing of 1.5–0.91 metres, mirroring the row spacing of Granjoux’s vineyard but shrinking the spacing between vines in those rows.
“Improvement in fruit quality is the never-ending quest. The vineyard is managed to such a low yield – with the eventual target of 7 tonnes of fruit from the 5,800 vines – that fruit quality is easier to manage. Mulching, water management, leaf management are the tools that we use. We try to keep it all as natural as possible – a homage to the original 1860s vineyard.”
The densely staked vines on a meaningful slope reminded Walpole very much of the vineyards of the Northern Rhône, as did the soils, comprising decomposed granite, clay and slate. That, and the local history, made shiraz an easy choice, along with a seasoning of viognier for blending purposes, with the Beechworth hero grape of chardonnay also planted to make two micro-production ultra-premium wines (made by Walpole and Adrian Rodda), with the first vintage, 2021, to be released in April 2023.
Bartholomew and Pelka take charge of the property day to day, while Walpole is in “almost daily” contact, says Bartholomew. “Under his direction we have planted permanent mid-row swards with native grasses and clover. The vineyard is run on organic principles, and we have used organic herbicides sprays… Last season we mulched the chardonnay under-vine with an organic mulch for water management and weed control. This season we have begun an experimental project under the shiraz vines where we are laying jute matting and applying chipped vine cuttings and other mulch over the matting.”
That mulching program is the longer term plan for managing weeds, rather than organic herbicide, as well as to preserve soil moisture, with Bartholomew stressing that supressing weeds will always be preferable in their site to removing them. Given the structure of the staked vineyard, mechanical under-vine weeding is not possible, and Walpole is opposed to breaking the soil through cultivation.
“Mark has encouraged a no-till philosophy,” says Bartholomew. “It is his opinion that cultivation damages feeder roots, potentially impacting nutrient uptake. It can also destroy mycorrhizal fungi that work in a symbiotic way for phosphorous availability to the vine. In our case, cultivation would also lead to erosion on such a steep, sloping vineyard. The soil and its management are paramount to the sustainability of the vine itself.”
This means that any problem weeds need to be removed by hand, adding another level to an intensely physical operation. “With Mark’s oversight and advice, we are continually implementing soil and vine quality initiatives,” says Bartholomew. “For the vine it starts with pruning. Shoots are tied to the pole as they grow – we usually have four to five passes through the vineyard throughout the season. We hand remove laterals in the fruit zone with each pass. We hand-pick on hands and knees and are selective under the watchful eye of Mark and Stephanie Eyles, the latter who spends much of her time working in the vineyards of Hermitage. Stephanie’s knowledge of pruning and picking has been invaluable.”
Bartholomew and Pelka have also commissioned a civil engineering project to create a water catchment and storage plan, with hopes of completing the works by the end of 2023. The vines are irrigated by a below-ground dripper system, which was installed at the time of planting. Bartholomew estimates that the reduction in evaporative loss results in about a 30 per cent reduction in water use.
The Granjoux vineyard is a labour of love, and an enterprise that is yet to publicly reveal the first vinous results from this compact but decidedly ambitious project. It is also one that is purposefully restricted to the now-repaired stone-walled clos of Granjoux, with Bartholomew suggesting the only tinkering will be to graft a frugal amount of shiraz to viognier if the winemaking trials suggest that it’s a benefit. Rather, the key focus is decidedly set on realising the maximum quality potential of a site that was likely the first commercial vineyard in the Beechworth region.
“Improvement in fruit quality is the never-ending quest,” says Bartholomew. “The vineyard is managed to such a low yield – with the eventual target of 7 tonnes of fruit from the 5,800 vines – that fruit quality is easier to manage. Mulching, water management, leaf management are the tools that we use. We try to keep it all as natural as possible – a homage to the original 1860s vineyard.”
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