About Evelyn County - the Winery
Evelyn County
The Yarra Valley's Evelyn County Estate vineyard site produces premium cool climate fruit displaying naturally high acidity and intense fruit flavours and aromas
Established in 1995, Evelyn County Estate's cellar door/restaurant/gallery facility is simply stunning. Awarded the Australian Institute of Architects "Best New Commercial 2002", the building overlooks superb rural vistas, waterways and the exquisite 18 acre estate vineyard.
Only grapes which achieve ideal ripeness, intense fruit flavour and natural acidity characteristic of premium cool climate fruit are used in the production of Evelyn County Estate wines. Viticultural practices such as hand pruning and hand picking, a well established Integrated Pest Management program and a unique trellising design eliminates the need for excessive chemical additives both in the vineyard and at the Winery - a feature increasingly important to the well informed wine consumer.
Small parcels of red grapes are hand-plunged during fermentation to maximise colour and flavour extraction. White wines are made reductively to retain and enhance fruit freshness, flavour and aroma. The Evelyn County winery aim for longevity with natural high acidity, powerful fruit characteristics, ageing in French oak and bold tannin structure. These wines can be cellared and are immediately delicious at any time after their release date.
The premium, cool climate, Black Paddock range of wines is made exclusively from estate-grown fruit
Winemaking leadership comes from James Lance of the esteemed Lance family of Diamond Valley Vineyards' fame. His uncompromising commitment to quality is well known within the Australian and international wine industry context. The results speak for themselves in terms of the multiple medals and industry accolades achieved in both regional and interstate wine shows, newspaper and magazine reviews since the inaugural 1998 vintage.
From the planting of the first vine, Evelyn County Estate continued to be inspired by a philosophy of promoting a long term vision of best practice at all stages of grape growing and wine making whilst ensuring sustainable agricultural practices that are in harmony with a cherished and unique environment.
The Evelyn County winemaking team strive to exceed expectations in every aspect of the winery's operations with best practices and an uncompromising commitment to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. This facilitates the production of world class red and white dry table wines and enables Evelyn County Estate to claim a position as one of the most highly regarded boutique wineries in Victoria.
Evelyn County Estate’s handcrafted wines display rich, powerful flavours and aromas whilst retaining an elegance, finesse and natural acidity typified by premium, cool climate viticulture. The Black Paddock range includes two white dry table wines, Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay and four red dry table wines, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. The small experimental plot of the Spanish red variety, Tempranillo was first harvested in 2003 and is available in limited quantity only at cellar door.
Evelyn County Estate has been established with the conscious intention of creating a stunning, world class forum in which to highlight and promote regional wine, food and art, a cornucopia of Yarra Valley delights!
Open 7 days per week, the Tony Smibert Gallery at the Evelyn Estate winery offers quality art in a contemporarily designed space. Wonderful images of local landscapes, award-winning jewellery, handcrafted furniture, tin sculpture, exquisite quilts and much more. The strong and well documented cultural legacy of art from within the Nillumbik shire ensures a plethora of local talent as well as major exhibitions by the world renowned watercolourist, Tony Smibert and his partner, screen printer Carmel Burns.
