It all begins with our relationship with the vines. Our traditional approach to pruning involves assessing each vine, its immediate environment, how much each vine can and should bear to obtain optimum fruit flavour and concentration, focusing on it’s individuality, managing each of the vines on their own merit.
This discipline of hand-management has applied to our vineyards from day one.
Richard has planted every vine himself, nurtured and pruned the old way – by hand, one vine at a time.
Step by step – or hand by hand…
- 1991 first cuttings ready – most of the cuttings were from old stocks within the immediate Bethany and Tanunda region. Some of the Shiraz cuttings came from 80 year old vines in the Hills near Flaxmans Valley.
- 1992 planted Creek Flat – cuttings from 50 year old Shiraz near Tanunda
- 1993 planted Semillon – cuttings from old vines near Tanunda
- 1996 planted Front Block Shiraz and Alicante Bouchet
- 1996 certified “A” Organic Certification
- All cuttings planted after good wet season so no irrigation was necessary
- No pesticides and no herbicides used.
- Two years after planting, Richard pruned the cuttings back dramatically to promote growth and create sustainable dry grown vines
- Richard hand weeded continuously around new plantings to keep them viable.
- All managed by hand pruning to 2 rods and 2 spurs (some vines less) to encourage low yields and allow maximum airflow and sunlight through the vine’s canopy.
- Heavily summer prune vines to manage the canopy, minimizing disease risk (powdery, downy mildews) and again promote sunlight through the vine.
This type of hand management along with no irrigation and minimal cultivation in the vineyard allows the fruit to be simply a product of its terroir and each season.
