Tucked into the undulating contours of the Skilly Valley, Skillogalee Estate is not only one of Clare Valley’s most scenic and storied vineyards, but also one of its most progressive. Dry-grown on ancient dolomite and surrounded by the native bushland of the Spring Gully Conservation Park, this 50-hectare vineyard is a living expression of place, sustainability, and careful custodianship. Under the stewardship of Kerri Thompson and Brendan Pudney, the estate has been transformed into a vibrant testbed for ecological viticulture. “To me this really is one of the most beautiful vineyards in the world,” says Thompson. “We really treasure all of the biodiversity that comes along with that.”
Skillogalee’s vineyard sits between 450 and 500 metres elevation, planted on shallow, stony soils of Skillogalee dolomite. “It’s a harder rock than limestone,” notes Pudney of the local dolomite, “so our dry grown vines have to work quite hard, but will still hold water – which is so crucial.”
This is terrain that demands attentive farming. “Shoot thinning decisions are based on block and ultimate wine style direction,” Pudney explains. “Cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc are shoot-thinned more because of their propensity to [generate] lots of short shoots that crowd the canopy. Greater canopy crowding can result in greener, underripe tannin … we want to avoid that.” His approach is built on past experience and research, bringing in findings from cabernet trials during his Leasingham Wines days to inform the vine framework today.
“We’ve also got initial data for leaf Brix, petiole [i.e. leaf stem] analysis, pruning weights and soil microbial tests,” adds Thompson. “These will all be retested in future to gather more data and deepen our understanding of what’s working best. Overall fermentation health seems to be better, requiring less intervention during the winemaking process – and so this is certainly improving wine quality.”
Since a change in ownership in 2021, Skillogalee has leaned hard into biodiversity, joining the EcoVineyards program and planting more than 1,500 native species across the estate. “We’ve been thrilled to be involved in building beetle banks and monitoring predatory insects like microbats,” says Pudney. “After measurements across the vineyard showed that the block which has been managed ecologically the longest has the highest recorded leaf Brix result … it’s a really satisfying and encouraging early outcome.”
Skillogalee turned heads within the wine growing world in 2024 when the estate became the first vineyard in South Australia to trial mixed native Western Australian everlastings as under-vine cover crops. “The highly successful germination … despite record-breaking dry conditions has generated enormous interest,” says Thompson. “We hope to inspire other growers to see the rewards in sustainable practices – for our environment, communities, wines, and industry.”
Those cover crops form part of Skillogalee’s water management program. The entire vineyard is dry grown, and the challenges of a changing climate aren’t theoretical. “Water! Or the lack of it,” says Pudney, when asked about the biggest challenge he faces. “With the lowest recorded rainfall on record this year it’s a stark reminder of the importance for us to focus on building soil health and reducing vine framework to support the vine growth as best we can.”
Their response? Composting, native revegetation, and removing herbicides have all been central pillars of soil strategy. “We’re really keen to keep rolling out our plans and projects,” says Thompson. The property is now registered with Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, and the vineyard has also served as a regional trial site for hydroseeding projects. “It’s still early days,” Pudney says, “but the team is definitely seeing more biodiversity across the vineyard – in terms of good bugs and wildlife – and vine health improvements. Our extensive work in composting, mulching, and cover crops is really starting to pay off.”
The work shows in the glass. The estate’s wines are known for their fine-boned structure and purity — something Thompson attributes to their unique site. “It’s a more protected area than other sites in Watervale, Armagh and Polish Hill River. The wines of this estate have a delicacy, elegance and finer frame and are generally a little later to ripen.” Winemaking here is about transparency rather than artifice. “We’re aiming to produce wines that celebrate the patch of dirt they come from without too much winemaking trickery,” Thompson adds. “Wines which are thrilling to drink and uniquely Skillogalee.”
“Obviously the Clare Valley has gained great fame and popularity with riesling,” says Thompson. “It’s most certainly something for our region to celebrate. But I do think that cabernet sauvignon is the unsung hero — with its balance of bright fruit sweetness and fine tannin structural detail.” She credits the valley’s elevation for enabling such versatility. “We enjoy a significant diurnal temperature fluctuation… this allows us to ripen riesling with delicacy and finesse and lovely natural acidity, right alongside cabernet and shiraz.”
This is not a vineyard chasing trends – it’s one focused on legacy. “We’re working on Ngadjuri land and take our role as current custodians to look after this place for future generations very seriously,” Thompson reflects. With a passionate team and a raft of plans ahead – from tackling the vine disease Eutypa through reworking programs to ramping up on-farm composting – there’s no question Skillogalee is a site to watch. As Thompson says, “We share a great sense of excitement and energy about the future of this very special part of the world.”
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