Blackwood hill is as a family owned producer of classic natural wines, albeit on a very small scale. Nestled in the steels creek valley, our range of wines are produced each year with indigenous yeast, minimal intervention and no fining or filtering.

Blackwood hill is as a family owned producer of classic natural wines, albeit on a very small scale. Nestled in the steels creek valley, our range of wines are produced each year with indigenous yeast, minimal intervention and no fining or filtering, reflecting the seasonal changes.

The calder family planted its first vines in 1988, nestled in the steels creek valley, where the land was once dominated by blackwoods. These cabernet franc vines proved to produce fruit of great character and were sought after by other winemakers in the area.

A decision in 1998 to move from a grape-producer to a wine-producer saw plantings of cabernet sauvignon added. This was done in a ratio such that close to the desired blend in the finished wine was achieved. This allows for the fruit to be field blended and fermented together, creating an integrated and harmonious wine.

The care of our vines and vineyard is intimately interconnected with the management of the rest our estate. Our holistic approach sees that our sheep and cattle are fed the marc off each pressing and the lees is composted and used in our vegetable garden. Our vineyard is fertilised and groomed by our sheep during the vines dormant months, with other organic fertilisers used during the growing period.