Our primary focus is to ensure that the fruit we grow comes from the healthiest vines, this means our soil has to be in the best possible condition.

The aim is to have an extremely healthy and well-balanced soil. Soil health is achieved through the balance of physics, chemistry and biology. This enables the plants to better access the required water and nutrients, suppress plant pathogens and allow vines to increase their root growth.

Understanding how the soil microbes and ecosystem works below the surface is vital. Having a large and diverse range of beneficial microbes means the system is always in good balance and can better buffer itself against extreme weather conditions such as prolonged hot, dry spells or cold and wet conditions.

This management system has enabled us to not rely on herbicides, heavy pesticides and synthetic fertilisers to grow our fruit. We take a holistic approach to managing the vineyards by looking after the soil, the vines and the under-vine grasses and clovers. We want a healthy and diverse system – not a sterile monoculture that exists in many mainstream, conventional vineyards.

This biological farming approach has lead to the fruit and resultant wines to best express the truth of where they have come from and the influence of the seasons. We continually find that flavours come on early in the fruit, ideal sugar levels balanced with high natural acid.