Toole picked this spot 25 years ago, drawn to its then-unplanted potential. “The property was chosen because … it is the coolest site in the Watervale subregion,” she says. The site itself is nestled at the foot of Mount Horrocks – the highest perch in this pocket of the Clare, and the namesake of Toole’s estate. A geologist mapped the site pre-planting, matching grape varieties to soil types: riesling and shiraz on red loam over limestone, semillon and nero d’Avola on leaner dirt, cabernet on rockier loam. “Each variety has … been planted specifically according to the soil profile,” she explains, ensuring even ripening. Rows run north-south, 2.6m by 1.6m, VSP-trellised and hand-pruned – spur for most, cane for the Cordon Cut riesling. She green-harvests shiraz and cabernet to ditch fruit that are late to veraison, ensuring perfectly even ripening. Hand-picking seals the deal.
For Toole, the terroir’s a quiet stunner. “My vineyards are amongst the highest altitude sites … chosen not just for altitude, but also geology and aspect,” she notes. That south-easterly tilt softens the Clare summer’s brutal 35°C peaks with very cool nights – think 15°C drops. Compared to Eden Valley’s floral rieslings or McLaren Vale’s plush shiraz, Watervale’s limestone backbone and altitude lend a taut, mineral edge to the finished wines – riesling zips with lime, shiraz grips with tannic spice. “Warm sunny conditions followed by … cool nights,” she says, a rhythm suiting her “fresh wines with finesse.” Semillon’s tamed on poor soil – “notorious for heavy crops if not kept in check,” Toole notes – yielding restraint over excess. Nero d’Avola, planted on its own roots in 2020 after a virus-hit 2008 start, acts as a hedge against a warming climate. “It is about getting fruit ripe and fully flavoured, but not overripe which can result in big, clunky wines,” Toole says. “So the vineyard needs to be low- to moderate-yielding and, importantly, the vines must ripen the fruit evenly. That way, it’s possible to make full-flavoured delicious wines that are moderate in alcohol.
“The aim has to be clear as early as when you choose the vineyard site. Then it’s about how you train each vine – it’s all about getting every vine, every bunch to ripen evenly. That way its possible to get such generous flavour and finesse.”
The soil is where the magic brews here. “Soil management is a critical part,” Toole insists. The earth here has been unworked for 15 years under native grass swards. Organic since 2014 and certified biodynamic since 2019, Toole’s natural vineyard management goes deep – beyond 500/501 preps (the infamous loaded cow horns buried in the vineyard) she’s pioneered the use of preparations 502 through 507 via a cow pat pit since 2001. “We utilise the cow poo from cows grazing on the property,” she says. These cow pats are mixed with eggshells, basalt, and bore water, then fermented for nine months into a friable compost sprayed via a lightweight Gator tractor. Fish brews of seaweed and molasses, and nettle teas from her Auburn herb garden, layer on nitrogen and zinc. “The impact of biodynamic certification … has been a revelation!” Toole marvels. The vines glow iridescent green. “Earthworms … 150mm and longer, are prolific,” she adds—proof of her work in the dirt, mirrored by “pristine quality fruit” in 2024.
That biodynamic soil health pays off. “High level of consistency of crop quality … especially in recent years,” Toole says of her vineyard. Yields are low but steady –riesling at six tons/ha, shiraz at four – despite the Clare’s wild vintage swings. “The health of the vines tells the story,” she reflects – a decade of organics topped by six years of biodynamics lifting the fruit to new heights. Tyson Stelzer’s Top 250 wines of 2024 nods to six of Mount Horrocks’ seven wines; The Australian’s Top 100 of the same year listed her riesling. “The fruit quality provides the evidence of the profound … change,” she says. No chemicals for 15 years – “a more attractive and safer work environment,” Toole notes – has drawn her crew in. Against the Clare’s herbicide streaks, this is an “oasis” – a term she doesn’t throw about lightly.
Sustainability is Toole’s creed. “Our approach is entirely holistic,” Toole says. There are only 16 acres of vines on an 80-acre plot – the rest has been revegetated with 18,000 native trees planted in since 2001. “The environment has been transformed – from a denuded landscape … to a place of new life,” she explains. With native vegetation re-established, birds and bugs are back in force. In the parched Clare region, water is gold, and Toole uses cutting-edge ATHENA IR-TECH infrared data to tweak her drip irrigation regime, with soil probes cutting water waste. “The cost … is highly sustainable, as the resultant wines command superior prices,” she adds, with her $58 shiraz bottles offering more than enough proof of the conjecture. Not that she’s in it for personal gain: “I’m more than happy to share any aspect of what we do,” Toole says – a model for those in the Clare who might otherwise hesitate to follow her lead.
Her “a-ha” moment came with the conversion to biodynamics. “I didn’t expect biodynamics to allow us to improve on organic farming so much!” she says. Vine vigor spiked post-certification in 2019. The poo pit’s her dine-out tale – “Collecting fresh poo … letting it get ripe,” she grins, shocking her guests with talk of “sweet” soil. “It can fascinate people – complete recycling at this basic level can help people understand what is so good about what we do, but I can see they can be a little shocked at the same time, especially if they encounter the pit in its raw green stage!” The changing climate remains a foe – “High quality fruit [now] cannot be consistently grown without access to water,” Toole admits. For the moment, she’s leaning on tech and nero d’Avola’s heat tolerance to mitigate the impact of year-on-year warming. Her shield? “Vine health is everything,” she says. Next up? “I would love to have an impact on my neighbours,” she muses. Nudging the Clare toward her more sustainable path offers its own rewards, but Toole still finds contentment in walking the rows. “The most satisfying part of my job is being in the vineyard,” Toole beams. “I feel a connection with the place.”
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