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| THE VINEYARD |
| THE WINERY |
| HISTORY |
All our wines are crafted entirely from fruit grown at our
Crawford River vineyard, vinified and bottled on site.
The hand-picked grapes are brought in to the winery in
small batches where meticulous attention is paid to detail.
Patience and time are of the essence in our winery. We
believe minimal interference and movement during
vinification, preferring the fruit to naturally express our
special terroir. It is our belief this approach influences
the pure, elegant quality of our end product.
Our white wines are cool-fermented to dryness
exclusively in stainless steel tanks. We ferment our
dessert wine to comparably low sugar levels in order to
find an ideal balance between sugar, acid and alcohol so
the purity of the style is expressed with a clean, crisp
finish.
Our red wines are fermented in small, open fermenters
and hand plunged. Small parcels are given extended
maceration and a further portion barrel fermented to
assist our endeavour to craft wines with finesse,
multi-layered flavours and complexity. Individual blocks
and treatments are kept separate throughout their
maturation of 12 - 24 months in a varitey of French
Oak. Malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally in the
Spring.
Crawford River vineyard, vinified and bottled on site.
The hand-picked grapes are brought in to the winery in
small batches where meticulous attention is paid to detail.
Patience and time are of the essence in our winery. We
believe minimal interference and movement during
vinification, preferring the fruit to naturally express our
special terroir. It is our belief this approach influences
the pure, elegant quality of our end product.
Our white wines are cool-fermented to dryness
exclusively in stainless steel tanks. We ferment our
dessert wine to comparably low sugar levels in order to
find an ideal balance between sugar, acid and alcohol so
the purity of the style is expressed with a clean, crisp
finish.
Our red wines are fermented in small, open fermenters
and hand plunged. Small parcels are given extended
maceration and a further portion barrel fermented to
assist our endeavour to craft wines with finesse,
multi-layered flavours and complexity. Individual blocks
and treatments are kept separate throughout their
maturation of 12 - 24 months in a varitey of French
Oak. Malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally in the
Spring.
| Inspired by its potential to produce superior quality grapes, John and Catherine Thomson planted their vineyard in 1975 at Crawford River, in south west Victoria. It was then a relatively unexplored wine growing region The cool southerly latitude together with the maritime environment, complex soil structure and favourable micro-climate create a terroir which has justified that initial vision. Presiding over gently undulating grazing lands with sprawling forests in the distance, Crawford River has paved the way for the industry in what is traditionally a wool, beef and dairy region. The winery atop the hill and the vineyard hugging the slope nestle in the midst of a large sheep and cattle station that John’s great- grandfather settled in 1884. After several years completing her studies and working in vineyards and wineries around the globe, daughter Belinda Thomson has returned home to become an integral part of the Crawford River team. |
Lying at the alluvial edge of a volcanic lava flow, the 11.5
Ha vineyard has its roots in an unusally complex, mineral-
rich soil base. Gravelly, friable, basalt loam overlays
permeable clay which lies above limestone created by an
ancient, risen seabed.
Rainfall is generally reliable, with much of the 650mm
average falling in Winter and Spring . At Latitude 38°
South and 110 metres above sea-level, temperatures are
cool. Situated approximately 50 kilometres inland from
the Southern Ocean, the vineyard enjoys its moderating
maritime influence whilst managing to escape most of the
Autumn sea mists.
The combination of these factors produces a long and
even growing season helping to produce grapes with
intense fruit flavours and high natural acidity. Whilst our
dry grown vineyard enjoys low yields, some years require
careful manipulation of bunch numbers, ensuring the
highest possible fruit quality. Budburst is usually mid-
September with picking from mid April to mid May.
Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon are the two main varieties
in the vineyard, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Franc,
Merlot, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
All the pruning, picking, shoot and fruit thinning, leaf
plucking and general canopy management are done entirely
by hand. Due to the long ripening period and consequent
late picking dates, in some years we experience the onset of
Botrytis Cinerea. In these years the ability to hand select
botrytis affected fruit is crucial, as we prefer to make our
dry table wines from “clean” fruit and reserve the sweet,
botrytised fruit for our renowned dessert wines.
Ha vineyard has its roots in an unusally complex, mineral-
rich soil base. Gravelly, friable, basalt loam overlays
permeable clay which lies above limestone created by an
ancient, risen seabed.
Rainfall is generally reliable, with much of the 650mm
average falling in Winter and Spring . At Latitude 38°
South and 110 metres above sea-level, temperatures are
cool. Situated approximately 50 kilometres inland from
the Southern Ocean, the vineyard enjoys its moderating
maritime influence whilst managing to escape most of the
Autumn sea mists.
The combination of these factors produces a long and
even growing season helping to produce grapes with
intense fruit flavours and high natural acidity. Whilst our
dry grown vineyard enjoys low yields, some years require
careful manipulation of bunch numbers, ensuring the
highest possible fruit quality. Budburst is usually mid-
September with picking from mid April to mid May.
Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon are the two main varieties
in the vineyard, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Franc,
Merlot, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
All the pruning, picking, shoot and fruit thinning, leaf
plucking and general canopy management are done entirely
by hand. Due to the long ripening period and consequent
late picking dates, in some years we experience the onset of
Botrytis Cinerea. In these years the ability to hand select
botrytis affected fruit is crucial, as we prefer to make our
dry table wines from “clean” fruit and reserve the sweet,
botrytised fruit for our renowned dessert wines.
A new cellar door
facility was added in
2000. Visitors are now
able to enjoy an
elevated view of the
vineyard and
surrounding
countryside whilst
sampling our range of
wines, which are 100%
Estate grown,
produced and bottled.
facility was added in
2000. Visitors are now
able to enjoy an
elevated view of the
vineyard and
surrounding
countryside whilst
sampling our range of
wines, which are 100%
Estate grown,
produced and bottled.
