The estate comprises 24 vineyard blocks, 8 grape varieties and 16 clones. The soil is generally low-fertility with good drainage, allowing for controlled growth but rich enough that our organic farming principles only require the addition of compost to maintain vineyard balance.Subtle but important soil variations are the result of a continuum of volcanic surface debris and ancient sea beds running to richer and darker soils, layered over predominantly limestone bedrock. The first vineyard was planted in 1974, with subsequent plantings through to the early 1980’s, making our vines some of the oldest in the Geelong region.
Like their predecessors, the team at Bannockburn do their best to express the vineyard through the wine we produce, telling a deeper story of soil and site. Their viticultural principles are based on healthy respect for the land and responsible farming, e.g the use of organic composting and straw mulching to eliminate need for herbicide sprays and the cultivation of inter-row cover crops to add soil nutrients. These principles flow through into the winery where minimal additions, wild yeast ferments and low intervention winemaking results in wines that are made with integrity and that are distinctively Bannockburn.
Winemaker Matt Holmes sees his role as a servant to the vineyard, growing season and fruit to produce wines representative of our style and site. Above all, gentle inputs and minimal additions are his goal. In his words, “Well-nourished vines grown in a suitable spot, picked on the right day, transcribed as wine.” Previously, Matt had been making wine in the Okanagan wine region of British Columbia, Canada. During these 10 years he also gained a broad range of experience working additional vintages in the U.S., France, Italy, New Zealand as well as Australia.
