Victoria Flashcards
What was the first vineyard planted in Victoria?
In 1838 the Ryrie brothers, three Scottish-born cattlemen from Sydney, leased 43,000 acres for grazing in the Yarra Valley. The named their property “Yering,” and planted a vineyard, cultivating two grapes: the Black Cluster of Hamburg and a white grape called Sweetwater. Thus at Yering Station in the Yarra Valley, just east of Melbourne, did Victorian viticulture begin.
What are the zones in Victoria?
North West Victoria Zone
Western Victoria Zone
Central Victoria Zone
Port Phillip Zone
North East Victoria Zone
Gippsland Zone
What GIs are in the Central Victoria Zone?
Bendigo GI
Goulburn Valley GI
Heathcote GI
Strathbogie Ranges GI
Upper Goulburn GI
What GIs are in the Gippsland Zone?
None
What GIs are in the North East Victoria Zone?
Alpine Valleys GI
Beechworth GI
Glenrowan GI
King Valley GI
Rutherglen GI
What GIs are in the North West Victoria Zone?
Murray Darling GI
Swan Hill GI
What GIs are in the Port Phillip Zone?
Geelong GI
Macedon Ranges GI
Mornington Peninsula GI
Sunbury GI
Yarra Valley GI
What GIs are in the Western Victoria Zone?
Grampians GI
Henty GI
Pyrenees GI
Bendigo GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Producers
- First plantings
Bendigo GI
- State: Victoria
- Central Victoria Zone
- Major Towns: Bendigo, Maryborough, Castlemaine
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 660 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (86%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
- White Grapes (14%): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
- Soil Types: brown loamy sand and clay loam
- Key Producers: Balgownie Estate
- First Commercial Plantings: 1850s (Phylloxera in 1893 led to a total destruction of vineyards, and viticulture was not reestablished until 1969.)
Goulburn Valley GI
- State
- Zone
- Subregions
- Towns
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
- First Plantings
Goulburn Valley GI
- State: Victoria
- Central Victoria Zone
- Subregions: Nagambie Lakes GI (est. 2001)
- Major Towns: Shepparton, Seymour, Nagambie
Grapes
- Red Grapes (61%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
- White Grapes (39%): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne
- Soil Types: yellow-brown sandy loams, yellow clay loams, and gravelly, quartzose sands
- Goulburn River
- Key Producers: Tahbilk, Monichino Wines
- First Commercial Plantings: 1860
Heathcote GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
- First plantings
Heathcote GI
- State: Victoria
- Central Victoria Zone
- Major Towns: Heathcote, Colbinabbin
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 1,510 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (80%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
- White Grapes (20%): Chardonnay, Riesling
- Soil Types: greenstone (Cambrian Era alkaline volcanic soil rich in copper and calcium)
- Mt. Camel Range
- Key Producers: Jasper Hill, Domaines Tatiarra, Heathcote Winery
- First Commercial Plantings: 1860s
Strathbogie Ranges GI
- State
- Zone
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
- First Planting
Strathbogie Ranges GI
- State: Victoria
- Central Victoria Zone
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 420 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (44%): Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz
- White Grapes (56%): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
- Soil Types: alluvial sands and sandy loams with decomposed granite
- Strathbogie Ranges
- Key Producers: Plunkett, Dominion Wines
- First Commercial Plantings: 1975 (A single vineyard was planted in 1900, but it quickly disappeared, and a single hectare of experimental plantings was established in 1968.)
Upper Goulburn GI
- State
- Zone
- Town
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
Upper Goulburn GI
- State: Victoria
- Major Towns: Mansfield
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 260 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (57%): Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz
- White Grapes (43%): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
- Soil Types: granite, clay, sandstone and limestone
- Goulburn Rive,r Lake Eildon, Great Dividing Range
- Key Producers: Delatite
Gippsland Zone
- State
- Unoffocial Subregions
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
Gippsland Zone
- State: Victoria
- Unofficial Subregions: South Gippsland, East Gippsland, West Gippsland
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 240 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (57%): Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
- White Grapes (43%): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
- Soil Types: varied clay and sandy loams
- Bass Strait/Southern Ocean, Great Dividing Range
- Key Producers: Bass Phillip, Caledonia Australis
Alpine Valleys GI
- State
- Zone
- Unofficial Subregions
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
Alpine Valleys GI
- State: Victoria
- North East Victoria Zone
- Unofficial Subregions: Ovens Valley, Buffalo Valley, Buckland Valley, Kiewa Valley
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 410 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (56%): Merlot, Pinot Noir
- White Grapes (44%): Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris
- Soil Types: granite, sandy loams and red-brown duplex soils
- Victorian Alps
- Key Producers: Gapsted Wines (Victorian Alps Wine Co.)
Beechworth GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Feature
- Producers
- First Planting
Beechworth GI
- State: Victoria
- North East Victoria Zone
- Major Towns: Beechworth
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 100 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (70%): Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot
- White Grapes (30%): Chardonnay
- Soil Types: Ordovician sandstone and shale, and Devonian granite
- Victorian Alps
- Key Producers: Giaconda, Sorrenberg, Castagna Vineyard, Golden Ball
- First Commercial Plantings: 1856
Glenrowan GI
- State
- Zone
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
Glenrowan GI
- State: Victoria
- North East Victoria Zone
Grapes
- Red Grapes (95%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Durif (Petit Syrah)
- White Grapes (5%): Muscadelle, Muscat à Petits Grains (both used for fortified wines)
- Soil Types: deep red clay and weathered clay on slopes, and dark clay, silt, and sand at lower elevations
- Warby Ranges, Lake Mokoan
- Key Producers: Baileys of Glenrowan, Goorambath, Judds Warby Range Estate
King Valley GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographical Features
King Valley GI
- State: Victoria
- North East Victoria
- Major Towns: Wangaratta
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 1540 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (52%): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir
- White Grapes (48%): Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc
- Soil Types: deep red clay loams
- King River, Oxley Plains (northern valley), Victorian Alps (southern valley)
- Key Producers: Brown Brothers
Rutherglen GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Key Producers
- First Plantings
Rutherglen GI
- State: Victoria
- North East Victoria Zone
- Major Towns: Rutherglen
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 830 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (83%): Shiraz, Brown Muscat (Muscat Rouge à Petit Grains), Durif
- White Grapes (17%): Muscadelle, Chardonnay, Marsanne
- Fortified Wine Styles: Topaque (formerly “Tokay”), Muscat, Tawny
- Soil Types: “Rutherglen” loam (preferred for fortified styles) and “Black Dog” fine sandy loam
- Murray River (the GI’s northern boundary), Victorian Alps
- Key Producers: Campbells, Chambers, All Saints, Morris, Pfeiffer, Stanton & Killeen
- First Commercial Plantings: 1851
Murray Darling GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographical features
- Producers
Murray Darling GI
- State: Victoria, New South Wales
- Big Rivers Zone
- Major Towns: Mildura
- Total Hectares Under Vine 19,800 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
— 7,130 ha of Murray Darling GI are located in New South Wales
Grapes
- Red Grapes (47%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
- White Grapes (53%): Chardonnay, Muscat Gordo Blanco
- Soil Types: Calcareous earth
- Murray River
- Key Producers: Lindemans (Karadoc), Zilzie Wines, Deakin Estate
Swan Hill GI
- State
- Zone
- Town
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Producers
Swan Hill GI
- State: Victoria, New South Wales
- Big Rivers Zone
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 19,800 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (47%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
- White Grapes (53%): Chardonnay, Muscat Gordo Blanco
- Soil Types: Calcareous earth
- Murray River
- Key Producers: Andrew Peace Wines, Buller Wines
Geelong GI
- State
- Zone
- Unofficial Subregions
- Town
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
- First Plantings
Geelong GI
- State: Victoria
- Port Philips
- Major Towns: Geelong
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 780 ha (2013, Geelong Wine Growers Association)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (65%): Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
- White Grapes (35%): Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
- Soil Types: red brown clay loam
- Port Phillip Bay, Bass Strait, Moorabool, Leigh, and Barwon Rivers
- Key Producers: Shadowfax, By Farr, Bannockburn, Austins Wines
- First Commercial Plantings: 1845 (All vineyards in Geelong were destroyed following the arrival of phylloxera in 1875-1877, and replanting did not occur until 1966.)
Macedon Ranges GI
- State
- Zone
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Key Producers
- First Commercial Plantings
Macedon Ranges GI
- State: Victoria
- Port Phillip Zone
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 250 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (59%): Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
- White Grapes (41%): Chardonnay, Riesling
- Sparkling Wines
- Soil Types: thin mountain soils of granitic loam with deeper loams in the valleys
- Macedon Range (part of Great Dividing Range)
- Key Producers: Bindi, Curly Flat, Hanging Rock, Granite Hills
- First Commercial Plantings: 1860 (Viticulture disappeared in the early 1900s and was not reestablished until 1968.)
Mornington Peninsula GI
- State
- Zone
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producer
- First Modern Plantings
Mornington Peninsula GI
- State: Victoria
- Port Phillip
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 850 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (60%): Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
- White Grapes (40%): Chardonnay, Pinot Gris
- Soil Types: hard yellow duplex soils, red volcanic soils, brown duplex soils, and sandy soils
- Bass Strait, Port Phillip Bay, Western Port Bay
- Key Producers: Main Ridge Estate, Willow Creek Vineyard, Kooyong, Paringa Estate, Stonier Wines, Yabby Lake, Ocean Eight
- First Modern Commercial Plantings: 1972
Sunbury GI
- State
- Zone
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Feature
- Producers
- First Commercial Planting
Sunbury GI
- State: Victoria
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 140 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (79%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
- White Grapes (21%): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon
- Soil Types: poor, dark soils with sandy loams on the river terraces
- Macedon Ranges, Port Phillip Bay
- Key Producers: Craiglee, Goona Warra Vineyard
- First Commercial Plantings: 1858 (Winemaking ceased in the early 1900s and was not reestablished until 1976.)
Yarra Valley GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
- First Planting
- Degree Days
Yarra Valley GI
- State: Victoria
- Port Phillip Zone
- Major Towns: Healesville, Lilydale, Yarra Glen, St. Andrews
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 2,420 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (62%): Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot
- White Grapes (38%): Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
- Sparkling Wines
- Soil Types: grey sandy clay loam and fertile red volcanic soils
- Yarra Ranges/Great Dividing Range, Southern Ocean (Yarra Valley does not touch the sea, but its proximity does affect climate.)
- Key Producers: Yering Station, Yarra Yering, Mount Mary, Domaine Chandon, De Bortoli, Yarra Yarra, Coldstream Hills, Oakridge, Giant Steps, Mac Forbes
- First Commercial Plantings: 1838 (All existing vineyards were converted to pastureland by 1937, and the modern Yarra wine industry began in 1963.)
- Degree Days (°C): 1250-1352 (Region I)
Grampians GI
- State
- Zone
- Major Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Key Producers
- First Commercial Plantings
Grampians GI
- State: Victoria
- Western Victoria Zone
- Subregions: Great Western GI
- Major Towns: Ararat, Stawell
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 540 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (82%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir
- White Grapes (18%): Riesling
- Soil Types: grey-brown loamy sands and clay loams
- Grampians National Park
- Key Producers: Best’s Wines, Grampians Estate, Seppelt Great Western, Mount Langi Ghiran Vineyards
- 1862
Henty GI
- State
- Zone
- Towns
- Size
- Grapes
- Soils
- Geographic Features
- Key Producers
Henty GI
- State: Victoria
- Western Victoria Zone
- Major Towns: Hamilton, Heywood
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 160 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (60%): Pinot Noir
- White Grapes (40%): Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris\
- Sparkling Wines (In 2012, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir together accounted for 66% of plantings.)
- Soil Types: basalt with gravelly loam
- Southern Ocean
- Key Producers: Seppelt (Drumborg), Tarrington Vineyards, Crawford River, Bochara Wines
Pyrenees GI
- State
- Zone
- Grapes
- Soil
- Geographic Features
- Producers
- First Commercial Plantings
Pyrenees GI
- State: Victoria
- Western Victoria Zone
- Total Hectares Under Vine: 870 ha (2012, Wine Australia)
Grapes
- Red Grapes (84%): Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir
- White Grapes (16%): Chardonnay
- Sparkling Wines
- Soil Types: sandy loam
- Pyrenees Range
- Key Producers: Blue Pyrenees Estate, Dalwhinnie, Summerfield
- First Commercial Plantings: 1887
In the 1860’s what was the biggest wine region in Australia?
Geelong
- Australia exported 145,600 cases of wine annually to the United Kingdom between 1860 and 1875, and much of it was Victorian in origin
How did the Victorian Government respond to Phylloxera?
Phylloxera was discovered in Geelong in 1877
- Rather than a sensible replanting on American rootstocks, the Victorian government ordered every vine in Geelong uprooted, bringing an instant end to Australia’s then-largest wine region
When did Phylloxera reach Yarra Valley?
2006
What is the name of the small water channel that connects Port Phillip Bay to the Bass Straight and Southern Ocean?
The Rip - 2 miles wide
What is climate of the Port Phillip Zone?
Climate is generally Mediterranean, and all five of the region’s zones are classified as either Region I or II in Winkler’s Scale of heat summation
- Overall climate, cooled by wind, proximity to water, and—in the northern area of the Macedon Ranges—elevation, is cooler than what one would find in Bordeaux
- the region’s most successful varieties are Burgundian in origin. Cabernet Sauvignon struggles to ripen in many vintages.
What are the soil types in the different sections of the Yarra Valley?
The valley contains two sectors:
- the warmer Lower Yarra Valley in the north, with its ancient sandy loam soils, and the cooler,
- higher-elevation, cooler Upper Yarra Valley in the south, where the soil is composed of younger red basalt
Pinot Noir from the Upper Yarra Valley tends to be more defined and mineral, whereas those from the valley floor in the Lower Yarra are often plumper and less aromatic.
What is encroaching on Mornington Peninsulas vineyard area?
Much of its expensive oceanfront real estate has been gobbled up by the wealthy elites of Melbourne for weekend homes, but winegrowing has taken hold between the tourists and holidays
What are the unofficial sub-regions of Geelong?
Surf Coast/Otways, the Bellarine—a peninsula that reaches out toward Mornington—and the Moorabool Valley, the beating heart of Victorian wine production in the 1860s and the center of the Geelong wine industry today
What is the elevation of the Macedon Ranges?
Vineyards in the Macedon Ranges are generally between 400 and 600 meters in elevation; these are the highest vineyards in the Port Phillip zone and Macedon Ranges is the coolest region on the Australian mainland
What geographic feature impacts elevation and soils in Heathcote?
Heathcote experiencing a more pronounced variation in elevation due to the ridgelines of the Mount Camel Range. The major difference lies underfoot: on the eastern side of Heathcote, a strip of red earth rich in 500-million-year-old Cambrian volcanic greenstone is especially prized for growing vines
Tahblik has two of the oldest vineyards of which varieties?
Where are they planted?
Shiraz - 1860 - A half-hectare of Tahbilk’s original, ungrafted vineyard survives today—thanks to alluvial, sandy soils deposited along the course of the Goulburn River
Marsanne - 1927
Nagambie Lakes Sub GI of Goulbourn Valley GI
What did Rutherglen produce before phylloxera?
region got its start slacking prospectors’ thirst with heavy red table wines in the heady gold rush days of the mid-19th century
What did Rutherglen produce before phylloxera?
region got its start slacking prospectors’ thirst with heavy red table wines in the heady gold rush days of the mid-19th century
How many hectares were planted in Rutherglen in the 1880s and how many today?
1880s - 3,000 ha
Today - 800 ha
What terms were used to name the fortified wines of Rutherglen in the mid 20th century?
sweet, fortified “stickies,” were labeled as “Sherry,” “Tawny,” “Tokay,”
How is Rutherglen Muscat made?
- blend of vintages
- fresh and floral youth or after years—even decades—of aging, during which the wine darkens and develops nutty, rancio complexity and concentration
- Brown Muscat (Muscat de Frontignan, or Muscat Rouge à Petit Grains) grows on deep “Rutherglen loam” and shrivels on the vine through long, dry late summers and early autumns
- Botrytis is undesirable—and historically uncommon—as it ruins the varietal, terpene-laden character of Muscat grapes, but this process of passerillage is essential for concentration of sugar
- By the Muscat harvest, usually carried out by early April, Brix levels may exceed 36
- After the harvest, Rutherglen producers typically allow the Muscat grapes to undergo a short fermentation on the skins, consuming 20-40 g/l of sugar over the course of one or two days
- The wine is then pressed and immediately fortified with a neutral 96° grape spirit, added—as in Port—in a one-to-four ratio
- The wine matures for years, even decades, in various formats of old wood: 225-liter barriques, 300-liter hogsheads, and occasionally 500-liter puncheons and even larger oval casks, depending on the producer and the wine
- As the wines mature in cask, evaporation sends a share to the angels, resulting in a net loss of around 5% per year and a greater concentration of sugar, acid, and alcohol in the remaining wine
- Some producers use a solera system; others tend to keep lots and vintages separate, preferring to assemble blends just prior to bottling
What is the Muscat of Rutherglen Network?
What are the different classifications
The Muscat of Rutherglen Network, a producers’ syndicate established in 1995, has developed a voluntary and self-regulating four-tier classification system for the Muscat wines based on taste profile
- basic level, Rutherglen Muscat, showcases the orange and rosy aromatics of young Muscat in a saccharine, mouthcoating frame.
- “Classic” Muscat retains intense varietal aroma, but adds concentration and slight rancio tones.
- “Grand” level, where the wines take on decidedly more oxidative tones and begin to show mature rancio character.
- Rare - The oldest, sweetest, most concentrated and most viscous wines are labeled “Rare.” Minimum age guidelines and residual sugar ranges are suggested rather than absolute: a “Rare” Muscat should taste as though it is at least 20 years of age—and often it will be much older
What Muscat is grown in Rutherglen?
Brown Muscat (Muscat de Frontignan, or Muscat Rouge à Petit Grains) grows on deep “Rutherglen loam” and shrivels on the vine through long, dry late summers and early autumns
What is Topaque of Rutherglen?
- Formerly known as Tokay—a designation phased out through agreement with the EU
- Topaque is a fortified wine made with Muscadelle grapes
- In fact, it may be the world’s only fortified wine produced with the grape, an uncommon aromatic variety found in Bordeaux and Southwest France, and totally unrelated to any Muscat grape
- Like Muscat, Muscadelle concentrates through passerillage, but it often hangs on the vine until the end of April, and accrues noticeably less sugar
- Fermentation, fortification and aging procedures are similar to the processes associated with Muscat, and the same categories (Classic, Grand, etc.) are in place for Topaque
- The final wines are lighter in color than Muscat, as they are produced from white rather than red grapes, and typically exhibit 30-40 g/l less residual sugar than Muscat wines in the same category
What GI in the North East Victoria Zone of Victoria produces a style of wine similar to Rutherglen Muscat?
Glenrowan GI
What are the most grown red grape varieties in Rutherglen and Glenrowan for dry reds?
Petite Sirah - Durif
Shiraz
What grapes are most grown in Alpine Valleys, Beechworth, and King Valley GIs?
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir and Bordeaux grapes
Climate is cooler than Glenrowan and Rutherglen
What do Swan Hill and Murray Darling GIs contribute to Australian wine production?
Overall, Murray Darling GI and Swan Hill GI contain nearly 9,000 hectares of vines, accounting for about 6% of the entire Australian vineyard, and this is supermarket-brand territory: 92% of the wines produced in these GIs (which invariably carry the “South Eastern Australia GI” moniker) sell for less than five Australian dollars per liter.
What is the Sub GI of Grampians GI?
Great Western GI
What winery advanced the reputatinos of Grampians GI?
Great Western Winery, founded by Joseph Best in 1865 but now under the Seppelt name
What winery advanced the reputation of Grampians GI?
Great Western Winery, founded by Joseph Best in 1865 but now under the Seppelt name
Where is the Bass Straight
South of Victoria, specifically Geelong, Mornington Peninsula and Gippslands Zone
What is the most planted grape in Gippsland?
Chardonnay is currently the most planted grape in Gippsland, with Pinot Noir not far behind
What are the unofficial subzones of Gippsland?
Why aren’t they seperate GIs within the Gippsland zone?
South Gippsland, East Gippsland, West Gippsland
As a region must produce at least 500 tonnes of fruit annually to merit consideration for GI status, the entire Gippsland zone, with only 190 ha under vine in 2019, is simply not large enough to currently warrant the creation of three distinct Geographical Indications.
What are the unofficial subzones of Gippsland?
Why aren’t they seperate GIs within the Gippsland zone?
South Gippsland, East Gippsland, West Gippsland
As a region must produce at least 500 tonnes of fruit annually to merit consideration for GI status, the entire Gippsland zone, with only 190 ha under vine in 2019, is simply not large enough to currently warrant the creation of three distinct Geographical Indications.
Who is this producer?
Mount Mary
Quintent Cabernet Blend, Yarra Valley
- Temperature controlled vinification, including 12–14 days on skins to optimise aromas, colour, tannin and flavour, is followed by 22 months of maturation in various types of oak barrels; around 25% in large format (1500L or larger), 30% in new barriques and the remainder in two to five-year-old barriques.
Established in 1972, the low-yielding, dry-grown 17-hectare vineyard is located on sandy clay loams over degenerating Silurian shales. The north-facing vineyard is planted with cabernet sauvignon (50%), merlot (25%), cabernet franc (15%), malbec (5%) and petit verdot (5%). Seasonality, fruitfulness of the vines and the personality of the fruit in each vintage determine the final outcome of the blend.
TOP VINTAGES
- 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1984, 1982, 1981, 1979. Not made in 2007 or 2009.
Who is this producer?
Bass Phillip
Reserve Pinot Noir, South Gippsland
- Natural balance and optimum flavour development are a key focus and are achieved through minimal intervention winemaking. The vineyard management at Bass Phillip has been organic since 1993 and biodynamic since 2002. The Reserve Pinot Noir is unfiltered and matured in new Allier oak for 20 months.
The intense and exquisitely balanced Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir is derived from a remarkably low-yielding vineyard of just 9000 vines per hectare and 270 grams of fruit per vine.
Anchored in deep mineral soils renowned for producing particularly intense and concentrated fruit, the Reserve Pinot Noir is primarily based on five rows of MV6 heritage clones, colonial vine stock material first imported to Australia by James Busby in 1832.
Top Vintages
2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1994.
Who is this producer?
Best’s Great Western
Thompson Family Shiraz, Grampians
- The 150-year-old shiraz vines are dry-grown, cropped at less than four tonnes per hectare, and delicately hand picked, selected and sorted. Open fermentation in small tubs is followed by maturation in new (around 50%) and seasoned French oak for 18 to 24 months.
- Only made in the very best vintage years, the original 15 rows yield very small amounts of fruit. Only 300 cases of the flagship wine are released in successful years, with only 11 vintages being produced in the last 20 years.
The rare and beautiful Best’s Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz is a great Victorian tradition. Once called the Thomson Centenary Shiraz, this wine was first released in 1993 to commemorate a centenary of the Thomson family settling in the area of Great Western. Representing Australia’s rich heritage of ancient genetic and pre-phylloxera vineyards, it is produced predominantly from 15 rows of Concongella clone shiraz vines planted by Henry Best in 1868.
Top Vintages
2015, 2014, 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1992.
Not made in 2016, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 and 1993.
Bottled under screwcap since the 2008 vintage.
Who is this producer?
Giaconda
Estate Vineyard Chardonnay
- Grapes are hand picked in the cool temperatures of early morning, lightly crushed and then basket pressed. Fermented and matured in new (30%) and seasoned French oak barrels for around 20 months, deep underground in a granite cave with naturally high humidity and a stable temperate of 16 °C.
Giaconda was established by a mechanical engineer, Rick Kinzbrunner, who purchased land in Beechworth at the foothills of the Victorian Alps. Deriving from an unusual, south-facing vineyard, which is sheltered from the full impact of the sun, the wine expresses a distinctive voice of place. The low-yield organically grown vines are located at 400 metres above sea level and sit on mean, mineralised granitic loams over decomposed gravel and clay.
Intuitive winemaking practices, a mastery of barrel work and a feeling for the natural environment gives this Beechworth chardonnay a special place in Australian wine.
Who is this producer?
Bindi
Block 5 Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges
- Quartz-riddled soils over sandstone, mudstone and clay support the living canvas of microbes and minerals that give energy and meaning to Bindi’s postage stamp-sized Block 5 vineyard. The Block 5 Pinot Noir is matured for around 15 to 17 months in new (35%) and seasoned French oak. Spicy, earthy, redcurrant and black cherry fruits, silky, fine yet persistent textures, and understated power are all hallmarks of the style.
Who is this producer?
Bindi
Original Vineyard Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges
- Bindi Original Vineyard Pinot Noir shares an almost identical winemaking approach to the Block 5 Pinot Noir. The style epitomises the strength and authenticity of the organically farmed Original Vineyard and Bindi’s minimal-intervention winemaking philosophy. Maturation occurs in French barrels (25% new) over 15 to 17 months. This pinot noir has ethereal redcurrant and strawberry aromas, sweet, supple flowing textures, and mineral length.
Who is this producer?
By Far
Sangreal Pinot Noir, Geelong
- The triumphant single-vineyard By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir, based on 114 and 115 clones, is both albatross and phoenix. It represents a far-reaching deliverance of the imagination and the superb potential of Geelong’s terroir. Vinified by classic Burgundian techniques, including whole bunch fermentation and French oak maturation, it is a singularly expressive wine with black cherry aromas, supple, lacy textures and integrated savoury new oak notes.
Who is this producer?
Jasper Hill
Emily’s Paddock Shiraz Cabernet Franc, Heath Cote
- The unirrigated, 3.2-hectare Emily’s Paddock, planted in 1975 and 1976 on pre-Cambrian basaltic soils, is sustainably farmed using organic and dry-grown principles. After vinification, the wine is matured in new (20%) and seasoned French oak barriques for 12 months. Red cherry and dark chocolate aromas, rich fruit flavours and sinewy, dry tannins are typical of this authentic and beautiful wine style.
Top Vintages
2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1983. Not made in 2011.
Who is this producer?
Jasper Hill
Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz, Heathcote
- Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz uses fruit grown on the 12-hectare, dry-grown, ungrafted Georgia’s Paddock, farmed using organic principles. After vinification the wine is matured in new (20%) and seasoned French oak barriques. Dark cherry, blackberry and mocha, fruit, plush yet vigorous chocolatey ripe tannins, generosity, depth and mineral length are hallmarks of this thoroughbred Heathcote style.
Top Vintage
2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1994, 1991, 1990. Not made in 1987, 1988 or 2011.
Who is this producer?
Main Ridge Estate
Half Acre Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
- Main Ridge Estate’s highly prized and rare Half Acre Pinot Noir’s tiny half-acre block was planted in 1975 on very shallow red basalt soils, and has since tripled in size (to a still minuscule 1.5 acres, or 0.6 hectares). Burgundian winemaking techniques are followed by maturation in new and one-year-old French oak barriques for around 17 months. Renowned for its glorious perfume, silky smooth texture, fruit complexity and mineral length, the Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot Noir is a compelling reflection of site and meticulous winemaking.
Top Vintage
2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1994.
Who is this producer?
Mount Mary
Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley
- Mount Mary’s original pinot noir vines, a mix of many clones, were sourced from Western Victoria in 1971 – material acquired prior to the consideration of individual clonal selections. These have been supplemented by newer plantings (including MV6, 777 and 115 clones) on American rootstocks. Simple winemaking techniques, to reflect the character of vineyard site, are followed by barrel ageing in new oak barriques (25%) for 16 months. Mount Mary Pinot Noir is typified by fragrant strawberry and cherry aromas and a supple, evenly proportioned palate.
Top Vintages
2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1988, 1986.
Not made in 2009 or 2007.
Who is this producer?
Tahblik
1860 Vines Shiraz, Nagambie Lakes, Goulburn Valley
- The exquisite and increasingly rare 1860 Vines Shiraz derives from rare pre-phylloxera vines, planted in 1860 on a sandy half-hectare patch on the Tahbilk estate. Fermented in century-old oak open vats before maturation in French oak for 18 months and bottle aged for three-and-a-half to four years before release. This shiraz typically possesses violet, herb garden, blackberry and chocolate aromas, loose-knit gravelly tannin structures, and underlying roasted walnut and chestnut notes.
Top Vintages
2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1991, 1990, 1986, 1982.
Who is this producer?
Yarra Yering
Dry Red Wine No.1 Cabernet, Yarra Valley
- The seductive Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No.1 is a classic Victorian claret style. Utilising the 28-hectare, north-facing, sprawling canopy vineyard, this red blend is comprised primarily of cabernet sauvignon with elements of merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Matured in new (80%) and seasoned French oak barriques for 18 months. It possesses bright, generous and deeply concentrated blackcurrant fruit characters, savoury complexity and fine-grained tannins.
Top Vintages
2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001, 1998, 1996, 1991, 1986.
Who is this producer?
Yeringberg
Cabernet Blend, Yarra Valley
- Yeringberg winery was established in 1863 and operated until 1921, before being replanted in 1969 and expanded on since. The Yeringberg Cabernet Blend comprises cabernet sauvignon (60%), merlot (15%), cabernet franc (15%), malbec (5%) and petit verdot (5%). After batch vinification in open fermenters, maturation follows in new (40%) and seasoned French oak barriques for 20 to 22 months. This claret style is typified by fresh cassis and violet aromas, fine-grained tannins, minerally texture and underlying savoury oak.
Top Vintages
2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1988, 1986. Not made in 2007 and 2009.
Who is this producer?
Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 2
a Shiraz-based Rhône blend co-fermented with Viognier and Marsanne. Inaugural vintage 1973.
Who is this producer?
Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz
100% Shiraz
Who is this producer?
Luke Lambert Yarra Valley Syrah
Who is this producer?
Tahblik “Eric Stevens Purbrick” Shiraz
Who is this producer?
Tahblik “Eric Stevens Purbrick” Cabernet Sauvignon
Who is this producer?
Tahblik “1927 Vines” Marsanne
