First planted in 1971, the Hickinbotham Vineyard was supplemented with plantings two to three times every decade since, with the last in 2017. Many of those older vines are contour planted, with the rows snaking across the curves of the rolling hills of Clarendon. The Vale’s most planted grape, shiraz, has a meaningful presence here, but it’s the Bordeaux varieties that take the lead.
Cabernet sauvignon is well represented in the Vale, but rarely does it take such precedence. “The elevated vineyard was proven for producing excellent cabernet, leading us to focus on Bordeaux varieties at the site,” says Lane. “In comparison to the greater McLaren Vale region, our position is quite unique, with elevation up to 225 metres, sloping towards the Onkaparinga River, and the influence of breezes off the St. Vincent Gulf. Our soils are also rich in siltstone, overlying the ancient bedrock of the Belair Subgroup geology beneath.”
“The elevated vineyard was proven for producing excellent cabernet, leading us to focus on Bordeaux varieties at the site. In comparison to the greater McLaren Vale region, our position is quite unique, with elevation up to 225 metres, sloping towards the Onkaparinga River, and the influence of breezes off the St. Vincent Gulf.”
This suitability fits neatly with the Jackson Family, who own both Hickinbotham and Yangarra, but also have a dazzling portfolio of wineries, including some of California’s most prestigious cabernet makers. Overseeing those is Napa-based Chris Carpenter, who travels out to make the wines from the Bordelaise varieties at Hickinbotham, while Yangarra’s Peter Fraser tends to the Rhône ones. The two come together to fashion ‘The Peake’, assembling a blend with their best respective components.
The vineyard has long been a revered source of fruit, with grapes notably going to Penfolds Grange, Eileen Hardy and Clarendon Hills over the years. And the site is still an important supplier of contract grapes, with the roster of current buyers an exciting list of progressive makers, including Bekkers, Brokenwood, Bondar, Alpha Box & Dice, Chalk Hill, Coates, Brash Higgins, Aphelion, Samuel’s Gorge, Penley Estate and Islander Wines.
For all its pedigree, it’s no real surprise that the Hickinbotham project currently still sits a little in the shadow of Yangarra, with the site purchased by the Jackson Family in 2012, 11 years after the Yangarra Vineyard. And while celebrated wines were released in 2014 – the first to be estate labelled – Lane’s process of regenerating the soil and reworking the site into its peak condition is a long term one.
“Since conversion to organic and biodynamics, we have focused a lot more on the detailed canopy management and cultural inputs with shoot thinning, leaf plucking and detailed pruning,” says Lane. “This is a lengthy process, with it taking several years to go from mechanical pruning to detailed hand pruning and balancing vigour in the vines.”
Lane notes that his canopy management results in better airflow, which helps lower the risks of fungal diseases, but it also has a very real impact on wine quality, with better physiological ripeness (tannin, colour etc.) at lower sugar levels, resulting in fresher and more balanced wines.
“It’s a wonderful vineyard that produces fruit of great quality and concentration,” says Lane. “We want to ensure the longevity of the vineyard by having a positive effect with our farming practices and protecting the naturally occurring biodiversity as its custodians. The site can be challenging with the contoured old vines causing variation. We have done many trials through differential harvesting to ensure consistency of fruit within the blocks resulting in more consistent ripeness and flavour characteristics.”
As is best practice these days, Lane focuses on natural controls for pest, weed and disease pressures. Synthetic chemicals are naturally eschewed under the biodynamic regimen, but he also employs foliar sprays of fish and seaweed to promote plant health and disease resistance. It’s a process that helps mitigate any development of problems, rather than taking a curative approach later.
“At Hickinbotham, each block produces distinct flavour and texture profiles. For example, the Brooks Road Shiraz is produced from three different parcels. We see each producing characteristics that work together harmoniously in the finished wine. One with pretty silky tannins, while some of the old vines produce more fleshiness and others more savouriness with a black olive tapenade note. Having a greater understanding of the intricacies of each block on the vineyard over the past ten years has improved fruit quality and the resulting wines.”
Insect traffic is monitored to establish the presence of beneficial predatory populations, whose habit is enhanced through the planting of insectary plants and generally increasing native biodiversity. This is supplemented with the installation of microbat boxes, with the bats capable of eating half their body weight in pest insects in one feeding session.
An integrated management system also helps to control one of the most devastating threats to a ripening harvest: birds. Lane is trialling bird-scaring drones to meliorate the situation, while attractants are employed to encourage predatory bird species. Fenced waterways and creek lines also preserve the water courses from livestock damage and provide essential wildlife corridors.
Rotational winter grazing of sheep keeps the grasses down, with their droppings providing a natural fertiliser boost. Additionally, over 300 cubic metres of compost and other material have been spread across the vineyard, while under-vine areas are blanketed with straw mulch to decrease moisture loss in the soil and increase organic matter.
“Soil health and and increasing carbon and biomass is our highest priority,” says Lane. “Managing under vine is critical. We have multiple specialised machines that enable the most appropriate management to be implemented to suit the soil condition and to reduce our disturbance as much as possible.”
Along with the older contour-planted blocks, Lane has been replanting with a new approach, where possible orienting the vines on a 300° north-west line to maximise sunlight on the fruit zone but reduce sunburn during the peak heat of the day. He has also lowered the cordon wire height to improve the vertical shoot positioning for leaf area and reduce the need to trim the canopy in summer.
“At Hickinbotham, each block produces distinct flavour and texture profiles,” says Lane. “For example, the Brooks Road Shiraz is produced from three different parcels. We see each producing characteristics that work together harmoniously in the finished wine. One with pretty silky tannins, while some of the old vines produce more fleshiness and others more savouriness with a black olive tapenade note. Having a greater understanding of the intricacies of each block on the vineyard over the past ten years has improved fruit quality and the resulting wines.”
A decade in, Lane has seen huge strides in soil, vine and fruit health. And while the wines are receiving ample critical praise, it’s clear that he sees his refinement of caring for the two sites under his stewardship as a project that will always be fine-tuned to ever improve results.
“Working on the Hickinbotham Vineyard for the past ten years has been a privilege, with its old vines and prominent legacy,” says Lane. “I’m so thankful to work on iconic vineyards with amazing sites that pose great challenges and even greater rewards.”
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