Our Aspect The vineyard’s aspect is north easterly and planted in two sections divided by a beautifully meandering creek and a paperbark forest. Westernport Bay, just 5km away, provides us with welcomed moderating winds that cool the vineyard in summer but the fierceness of the westerlies can be damaging to delicate pinot noir grapes. So very soon after purchasing the property in 1996 we began wind break plantings.

Our Soil Soil tests over the last twenty years reveal an excellent pH within a medium-heavy soil texture associated with good nutrient and moisture retention. There are very good levels of calcium and potassium both of which contribute to good soil structure. Importantly our organic matter level is above the ideal level of 5%; our levels are 6.8% in the Merricks Road vineyard and 8% in the Yal Yal Road vineyard. This ensures a maintenance of nutrient levels and even moisture around the rootzone.

Our Plantings The vineyard was planted in 1998 with pinot noir only, predominately with the 113, 114, 115, 777 and MV6 clones. In 2000, we imported two cultivar plants from the Josh Jenson Calera Vineyard in Monterey California USA. We call it our ‘Calera Clone’. The story goes that Jensen took selected cuttings from one of the Domaine de la Romanee - Conti vineyards in Burgundy where Jenson apprenticed. Our two cultivar plants did well in quarantine and were released to us in 2004. We then went on, in 2005, to introduce clone 667. Originally from France and then taken on by California, this clone was difficult to acquire but we managed to import it from New Zealand in 2001. Importing clonal material is an expensive and somewhat risky exercise but they do form part of the vast matrix of elements that ultimately find their expression in your glass and add to pinot noir’s allure.

Our Close Planted Section This tiny part of the vineyard was planted in 2000 and then extended in 2001 and 2002. It provides us with enough grapes to make approximately 33 dozen bottles. The vines are half a metre apart and the rows are 1 metre apart. No tractor can get into this area so all the work is by hand. The idea to plant in this way came after seeing the close planted vines in Burgundy France in 1999. There are a multitude of opinions and theories about close planted vines. What we have learnt over the years is that we are glad we have stuck with it because, in spite of the back breaking work, these vines consistently produce the high quality small-berried grapes so necessary for high quality pinot noir.