Windows Estate is not just a vineyard – it’s a living, breathing ecosystem. Tucked into Yallingup, on a ridgeline that backs onto national park and rests less than three kilometres from the sea, this nine-hectare vineyard sits at the heart of a 47-hectare certified organic farm – a space that owners Chris and Jo Davies have stewarded for over two decades with quiet intensity and unwavering intent. “The farm is our love, and our life project,” says Chris, who first planted vines here when he was just 19 years old. “We are fortunate to work on the land we love. Our goal is to see improvement in the entire ecosystem year on year. This is the motivation to continue.”
It’s never been just about the vines here. Over half of the property’s total area is a conservation zone, while the vineyard blocks – three in total – thread through distinct soils and orientations. Each vine is on its own roots, and between two and five clones of each variety are grown, picked, and vinified separately. Sauvignon blanc has just been grafted out – “we only grow and produce what we are 100% passionate about,” Chris says – while chenin blanc, semillon, chardonnay, syrah and a classic Bordeaux suite now make up the roster.
The land tells its own story. Natural springs rise on the farm – one flowing east toward the Gunyulgup catchment, another west toward Quininup Falls – and these watery boundaries straddle two of the region’s defining zones, Yallingup and Wilyabrup. Meanwhile, a high ridgeline within the neighbouring national park creates a cool microclimate that allows a rare patch of karri forest to thrive here. “Karri trees are not common in the northern part of Margaret River,” says Chris, “but they’re part of what makes our site so unique.”
Each vineyard block rides a different geology. Violette’s Block, planted with five clones of chardonnay, sits atop karri loam and granite; Home Block is rich in fractured laterite and ironstone; Lucas’s Block blends clay, granite and quartz. “The mineral component of the soils on our site we feel very much comes through in our wines,” Chris notes. “The most important thing for us is that our wines speak of the place they are from – if we can taste the soil within the wine, we are happy.”
Windows Estate is certified organic, but that’s just a baseline. “We farm our vineyard for future generations, not for ourselves,” Jo says. “We will never see the full results of the work we are doing.” Every decision is made with the soil in mind. Vines are dry grown, no irrigation. The vineyard rows teem with wild diversity – cover crops up to thigh height, and visible fungi that signal thriving mycorrhizal networks. “We have counted over 23 different plant species that are now naturally occurring,” Jo says. “We observe. The improving health of the farm is evident.” They don’t chase yields. “We have found that in years when it is cool we have lighter crops – therefore no issues ripening – and in years when it is warm we have higher crops. There has been a natural rhythm form in the vineyard.”
Their farming is deeply hands-on. Whipper snippering is done under every vine – by hand – up to three times a year. Wads of Dacron quilting are individually applied to vine trunks for weevil management. Chickens, ducks, and geese roam among the vines. Old picking bins are repurposed into coops; tanks become vegetable gardens. Cover crops self-seed, and seasonal herbs like yarrow, nettle and borage are grown for use in “potions” – biodynamic brews and soil drenches made onsite from worm juice, seaweed, and fulvic and humic acids. “There has been no greater improvement in the health of the farm and resulting wine flavours than our move to organic certification,” says Chris. “We have had difficult vintages … and the resulting wines have turned out to be some of our favourite vintages produced. We feel the wines have heightened purity and an energy since transition.”
Chris, a viticulturist by trade, also makes the wines. But his philosophy is one of minimal interference. “For us, winemaking is preserving what we have. A wine should reflect the site and season,” he says. “We feel the best way to do this is to do as much as possible in the vineyard to get the best quality fruit and leave it alone.” Each year, clones are picked and vinified separately – and then blind-tasted. “It has never been the same clone year-in-year-out that is the favourite,” he adds. “Always fascinating how different clones shine in different vintages.”
The coastal influence is unmistakable, especially in the estate’s chenin and semillon – wines with a sinewy energy and stony acidity. “The cooling sea breeze hits our vineyard early in the morning,” says Chris, and with no irrigation, the site has built resilience into its bones. In 2024, after nine months without rain, the vines held firm. “Even the whites retained their acidity. The balance of flavour, acid and tannin was achieved with no intervention.” It’s a site that rewards observation over measurement. Chris rarely checks Baumé before picking, relying instead on “acid, flavour, tannin and intuition – looking at the condition of the vines.”
The vineyard is just one part of a broader ecosystem. Natural vegetation is being reinstated across the farm to support bees, birds and insect biodiversity. Tree lines follow the orientation of downpipes to slow and filter water. Springs and dams are vegetated for wildlife shelter. Eco-tourism, via a small off-grid cabin and personal farm tours, brings people back into connection with nature. “We treat the farm as one ecosystem, where everything is dependent upon everything else,” says Jo. “This is reflected in our labels, which showcase aspects of the farm that in one way or another influence what’s in the glass.”
At Windows Estate, the work is patient, quiet, and deliberate. “There are no shortcuts,” Chris reflects. “What you put in is what you get out. Working the vineyard ourselves strengthens our connection to the land and is the best way to produce wines reflective of site and season.” It’s not built for fast returns or chasing trends. It’s built for resilience. For life. For the long view – one where the dragonflies hover thick over Violette’s block in summer, the soil pulses with worms in winter, and the wines carry the unmistakable rhythm of their place.
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