Story
One evening sometime in 2017, Sandro Mosele and Tony Todaro met at a French wine tasting in a Melbourne restaurant. They immediately connected, and over time began to discuss Australian wine and what the future might hold.
They knew immediately that a high-density vineyard planted on a special site was what they wanted. A site with an easterly aspect and a free draining soil conducive to deep rooted vines.
In 2018 they found an interesting property that they thought could tick all the boxes. It was in Balnarring, with a cool south easterly aspect and volcanic soil. It was about the same time they met French soil scientist/microbiologist and terroir expert Claude Bourguignon, who by chance, happened to be in Australia. Claude reinforced their belief that true site expression comes from deep rooted vines. They asked him to survey the property, and his report confirmed the site had great potential.
In 2019 the vineyard was designed and planted around the survey findings to maximise site expression. In one season,
the entire vineyard was planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Since planting we’ve been farming to our way of thinking, with the vineyard reaching full establishment for a first crop in 2023.
“This is my chance to put into practice all the best practices I’ve learnt and seen in great vineyards around the world. This is the culmination of everything. It’s about making the most of our terroir, and it starts with high density.”
- Sandro Mosele
The Kiln
Referenced in our logo, the historic rammed earth chicory kiln at the entrance of our site is a vestige of Victoria’s chicory trade. It was built circa 1910. Chicory was grown for use as a coffee substitute and additive throughout Victoria until the 1960’s. The areas around Western Port provided an ideal climate for the plant, the roots of which were dried in kilns and later transported to Melbourne for processing.