SCOTSBURN

Ballarat region - Victoria - Australia

Located south and east of Mt Buninyong the bucolic scene above shows our newest vineyard project. We happily purchased this east facing slope in May 2010, it forms part of a 75 acre block with 12 acres of virgin stringy bark forest, of which you can see the edge of on the right of picture. The slope, which runs down to a 30 megalitre dam, consists of red/brown volcanic soil chock full of basaltic rocks. The top of our grassy slope is at 500m altitude, the backdrop of the extinct volcano Mt Buninyong, (responsible for the soil some 10,000 years ago), reaches 745m. With average annual rainfall of 675mm, easterly aspect, gentle slopes, perfect soil pH and the cooling effect of height we are confident that this terroir will deliver fruit of world class character.

SCOTSBURN

December 12, 2011
Stuck between a rock and a hard place...

A close up look at the soil make up of our Scotsburn site.

December 8, 2011
Scotsburn Rocks!

Forgive the pun, but both meanings are true!

Soil sampling up at our future vineyard site at Scotsburn reveals some sizeable stones underfoot.
Dash gets in shot too, believe he's scouting out possible bone-burying sites..

Scotsburn Rocks!

August 22, 2011
The vines are ordered...

The bank account is significantly lower! Having paid for 33% of the total cost of our vines to be planted spring 2012. Pinot Noir was always going to be the first variety planted. In our efforts to make the best Pinot Noir Australia has ever seen we've selected clones: MV6 - the backbone of Australia's greatest Pinot's, 777 - a Bernard clone and D4V2 aka the Pommard clone. Half of the vines are on rootstock and half own-rooted. These selections were made with considerable research but in the end it was just what felt right for the site.

June 29, 2011
Winter of content

Fun, fun, FUN. That's the word I'm choosing to substitute for what Rob, our fencing guru, seems to be constantly muttering as another post finds another rock in our rockshot soil. It doesn't seem to comfort him much when I point out this is one of the reasons that I reckon we'll do well with a vineyard here. Fun off Scott.

We're fencing the west and the north boundaries of the property to plant out with local native plant and tree species. This will create a corridor to the existing forest. I've gotta say it does feel good to give something back to nature. Nets for the future vineyard are a given.

June 7, 2011
Looking East

Scotsburn Ballarat Vineyard Site Wine Victoria

Scotsburn Vineyard Site

Here we are looking east down a 25 degree slope towards the dam. You can't see them but underneath this slope it's 40% basaltic rocks ranging from the size of a potato to the size of a football. (Aussie Rules of course!)

Pinot Noir will hopefully find a great new home here!

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June 2011
August 2011
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