While Alessandro Stefani grew up amongst the family’s Yarra Valley vines, his initial academic pursuits and career was in engineering – that is, until wine’s siren song beckoned him into the winery, leading him back to the familial vines. “Once I finished the degree and worked a little as an engineer, I realised I wanted to pursue wine growing. After harvest at home in 2018 my girlfriend and I moved to Europe where I did a vintage with Maison Harbour in Savigny-les-Beaune in Burgundy. “ Stefani reflects. Continued employment in the vineyards and cellars of Burgundy and Germany followed. “One month before the 2022 vintage I returned home and have been here since.”
Stefani’s foray into the world of winemaking was enriched by his experiences across Europe’s storied wine regions, where he honed his craft with dedication and curiosity. Upon his return to the family estate, his mission became clear: “It was always in the back of my mind and when I returned home from Europe I thought it was the right time. I had always made wine for other people, which is fine, but I felt like it was time to make something for myself that I can stand behind 100%.”
He continues, “The main intent of this label is to show my family’s vineyards from a new perspective… to bring into focus a few vineyards/varieties that I want to move forward with into the future.” This vision is the cornerstone of his eponymous label, which is poised to introduce its first vintage in autumn 2024, heralding a fresh yet deeply rooted exploration of terroir and tradition
The debut Alessandro Stefani ‘Franc’ (a cabernet franc) and the ‘Boccolo’ (a sangiovese), each comes from one of Stefani Estate’s three distinct Yarra Valley vineyards. “The ‘Franc’ comes from our ‘Belaradah’ vineyard, a 2ha block on a northeast facing slope where the cabernet franc was originally planted in 2005 alongside cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, and petit verdot as part of a Bordeaux field blend,” he tells. While the ‘Boccolo’ comes from their ‘Gate’ vineyard, “Positioned on a challenging west-facing mid-slope of the gully, where the terrain is steep and the topsoil scant before reaching bedrock. We’re in the process of converting this site to organic, aiming for full certification by 2025. Notably, the sangiovese plant material was sourced from cuttings my father brought over from Italy two decades ago, originating from my grandfather’s abandoned vineyard in Tuscany.”
Stefani experimented with whole-bunch ferment for this wine. “I think the first time making the first vintage of the ‘Boccolo’ Sangiovese using whole bunch was a personal success for me. This was a wine I had in my mind to make in this style for a few years and it came out even better than I was expecting, so that was very satisfying. The fact that it was also produced in the same method in 2023 at the same high quality was another success confirming the first time wasn’t a fluke.”
Sangiovese holds a special place in Alessandro Stefani’s portfolio, emblematic of his desire to showcase the distinct character of his terroir. He articulates, “I especially believe in sangiovese as a flagship variety of the brand… It is a grape variety that suits our sites and is incredibly diverse in the type of wine it can produce,” he explains, highlighting his commitment to varietal and regional expression.
Central to Stefani’s winemaking philosophy is the sense of growing wines in the vineyard, from healthy vines. “One of the big changes we made in the farming of the fruit was beginning to convert the vineyards to organic management. Although it has been tough, especially the last couple of years, and yields are slightly less, the quality of the fruit has increased exponentially. We are definitely seeing a more harmonious and balanced ripening.”
Stefani aims to showcase the innate character of each parcel. “The goal is producing unique wines from our parcels that show identity and character on a consistent basis.” Stefani states, emphasizing his dedication to capturing the essence of his vineyards in every bottle.
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