Past Story Vineyards.

ONCE UPON A TIME...

Hyde Park (GRAMPIANS)

Traditional Owners: Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali 
Varieties: Syrah

Located southwest of Great Western and north of Moyston, in the granite dotted hills, is Hyde Park Vineyard, a large, warm, vineyard set on a large siltstone hill, which looks like shale or slate, and erupts out of the red ferrous earth. We take grapes from the top of the hill, where the red earth is higher in clay and stone and retains more moisture, and largely avoids the need for irrigation in all but the hottest periods. Down the slope the soil becomes lighter and more sandy as it approaches an old creek. The earliest of our Shiraz to ripen now, it produces juicy, tangy, jubey red berry flavours and nice high tones.

From 2013 it will form the bulk of our Grampians blend. A parcel of 100% whole bunch fermented Shiraz from this block adds spice and lift to the blend. Expertly managed by Robin Kuchel.

Rowan's Lane Vineyard (HENTY)

Traditional Owners: Gunditjmara
Varieties: Pinot Noir

A very small block isolated from others, this time planted on the banks of the Merri River outside Warrnambool, the most easterly part of the Henty region. It was planted in 1998 by the Rafferty family, to MV6 and 115 clones of Pinot Noir, P58 Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, a little Riesling and some Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is influenced by two major features. Firstly, the sea, which is within 2km, and the retreat of which revealed the sands and shells that compose the subsoils of the vineyard. Secondly, the Tower Hill volcano a few kilometres west, which dusted the area with black, friable, ashen topsoils. Even, cool ripening conditions and modest crops make for earthy, powerful Pinots, and as of 2012 we have made some lovely single-vineyard wine from the site.

Newton's Ridge Vineyard (PORT CAMPBELL)

Traditional Owners: Girai Wurrung
Varieties: Pinot Noir

Another isolated block, this time 15 minutes inland from Port Campbell, the home of the famous 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. The vineyard was planted by the Newtons in 1998 to 10 acres of Pinot Noir MV6 clone, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier and a little Shiraz. Soils are brown clay loams over limestone, and rainfall is high, eliminating the need for irrigation. This is a very cold site, northeast facing and needs intense management to ripen adequately, so leaf removal and crop-thinning are necessary, but it is beginning to produce impressive Pinot Noir fruit with delicacy and perfume, and a caclaire quality not often seen in Aussie Pinot. The difficult nature of the site has seen it reduced to a more manageable size in recent years, which has unfortunately reduced our volumes, and it is now a wine-club only release. Rare indeed!