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Earnscleugh Valley was the site of a gold rush in the 1860s, the industrious miners dug a watercourse through the valley which today serves to nourish the world's southernmost appellation of Pinot Noir. The Last Chance is a small scenic terrace, planted to a special Burgundy clone of Pinot Noir which yields a magnificently structured, generously proportioned wine. Two Paddocks» |
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Whole bunches and oak barrel ferments, the costly extravagance of three years tirage on sedimentery yeast lees, each bottle individually riddled by hand, disgorged and sent to cellar for the ultimate indulgence of extra age before release, Pamela is the zenith of the sparkling winemaker's art. Her luxurious effervescence exudes brioche, tarte tatin and French boulangere, her creamy textural mousse unravelling ribbons of rich yeasty autolysis, crème caramel and baked fruits. Wicks» |
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Steeped in history, the original Baileys store was situated next door to the Glenrowan Inn where widow Jones hosted Ned Kelly's siege. Following the gold rush, the Baileys turned to farming and settled on a property which they named Bundarra. Baileys Glenrowan» |
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Grove Estate became the go to vineyard for esteemed national brands on the hunt for stellar quality Hilltops Shiraz, some very choice parcels of Grove Estate found their way into the winner of the Finest Australian Shiraz Trophy. Immediately identified by early settlers who planted vineyards and made great wine, the Hilltops are renowned for a unique confluence of superior winegrowing aspects. Grove Estate» |
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Woodhenge is about big ideas, in the manner of cyclopean fences built by Australia's early settlers. A wine of great elemental sculpture, the assemblage of individual vineyard and sub-regional characteristics is the key to success of the style. Wirra Wirra» |
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The Daisy Hill district thrived throughout the 1850s, due to its location along the main route to and from gold fields. The Amherst property sits atop old alluvial tailings, ancient diggings can still be seen around the property dressed in rich quartz soils. Amherst» |
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Lenton Brae can justifiably claim to be one of Margaret River's leading proponents of the ebullient fusion between Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, having claimed multi trophies and gold medals for the style at regional, state and national competitions. The site was chosen after a chance conversation with the owner of Moss Wood who mentioned that the soils were uniformly excellent and equal to those of the eminent vineyard nearby. Lenton Brae» |
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Positioned half way between Avoca and Ballarat, the modestly sized Amherst have only ten acres under vine. The small yields translate into extraordinarily structured, powerfully intense wines, brimming with fine aromatics and lined with silky tannins. Amherst» |
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Yealands Seaview Vineyard is exposed to some of the toughest growing conditions in Marlborough, high sunshine and billowing winds wind, cool nights and low rainfalls for a smaller, thicker skinned Pinot Gris of exciting intensity. Fruit from the relatively flat, coastal L6M block, provides a pure mineral elegance to the structural backbone. Yealands Estate» |
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Named for the Chapel district of Lenton in Nottingham, Brae is Scottish for a small hill, which is what the Lenton Brae vineyard is situated on. Fortuitously placed within the very epicenter for superior Margaret River Cabernet, the site was planted after advisement from the proprietors of nearby Moss Wood, with which it shares a similar terroir and microclime. Lenton Brae» |
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Pete Yealands is a natural viticulturalist, happiest at work on the land, he has established many of Marlborough's most splendid vineyards. Single site Awatere Pinot Noir from an exposed terrace on the upper ridge of Seaview Vineyard, planted to some marvelous Dijon clones. Yealands Estate» |
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Paringa is one of Victoria's leading estates, having claimed Royal Melbourne Most Successful Winery Trophy and earning impressive international acclaim for it's founder, the eminent Lindsay McCall. His style is defined by his passion for viticulture and devotion to the art of making nothing but the finest wines. Paringa Estate» |
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Terra Felix
About Terra Felix - the Winery
Terra Felix
Terra Felix was originally launched as the second label to the highly respected Tallarook Wines and grew to become a premium winemaking estate
Using excess grapes from Tallarook and surrounding vineyards, Terra Felix immediately caught the attention of wine reviewers. The initial vintages concentrated on commercial varieties such as Shiraz, Merlot Cabernet and Chardonnay. The problem facing the fledging brand was that there were plenty of these wines available on the market and distribution was a challenge. It was decided that Terra Felix should reposition its offering and concentrate largely on using Northern Rhone grape varieties. And why not? The growing conditions, soil and climate around Tallarook bear an uncanny resemblance to Northern Rhone.
The Goulburn region has shown a natural affinity with the Northern Rhône varieties. In January 2003, the region was awarded its own GI (Geographical Indicator) recognition. Shiraz, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, all flourish here, not surprising considering the uncanny similarities between the two regions. Steep granite slopes falling away to alluvial valley floors; a continental climate with comparable sun hours, rainfall and heat summations.
The Shiraz therefore became a Shiraz Viognier, the Merlot Cabernet was replaced with a Mourvedre; a Marsanne Roussanne was introduced, and only the Chardonnay remained from the initial offering. Those who know the Tallarook Chardonnay will understand why Chardonnay survived. Simply the fruit was too good to pass over. With the release of the new varieties in 2004, Terra Felix started to gain momentum in its growth.
Tallarook acquired a contract winery in the Yarra Valley called Master Winemakers. Winemaker Terry Barrett came with an impressive pedigree, most recently he had been chief at Brown Brothers. There his role required him to run the entire Operating Division which included internal and external grape supply, winemaking, and packaging. He was responsible for wine that had won over 50 trophies and 200 gold medals at national and international wine shows. He led innovation at Brown Brothers with the introduction of Italian and Spanish grape varieties as well as the flagship Patricia Range of wines.
By the end of 2005 Terra Felix was emerging as a strong business in its own right. It was decided that the Board of Terra Felix would split and three members would buy out the initial owner. A close relationship was maintained with Tallarook through grape supply and wine making at Master Winemakers. Winemakers Terry Barrett and Trina Smith continued their passion to make Terra Felix a highly recognised brand. Their efforts culminated in the 2005 Terra Felix Shiraz Viognier being awarded Wine of the Year by the Penguin Good Australian Wine guide. Terra Felix was being taken seriously indeed.
At the behest of winemaker Terry Barrett, vinification moved to Mitchelton where Terry could make Terra Felix utilising a much more sophisticated infrastructure than he had at his disposal. He also was keen to lock in supply of very high quality fruit. This required finding vineyards that were prepared to partner Terra Felix in their plans to grow the brand in Australia and at the export market. Today, the fruit for Terra Felix is grown by a number of small family owned vineyards from around the region of the Upper Goulburn, an area which is becoming renowned internationally as source of some of Australia's finest wines.
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