Mount Barker Expressions

The pinot noir grape variety is very well suited to the cool climate terroir of the Mount Barker subregion of the Great Southern. This parcel of fruit is from the established Moore River vineyard, which consistently presents strong varietal characters.

The 2025 growing season was characterised by consistent temperatures and very little rain. Pinot noir was a standout variety this season, offering a lovely balance of fruit flavour and acidity.

The fruit was harvested in two parcels on 25 and 31 March 2025. The fruit was picked, gently de- stemmed and cold soaked for two full days. The parcels were combined and a portion of the fruit underwent natural fermentation in new French oak. The remainder went to small open fermenters and later to new and seasoned oak. The wine spent eleven months in French oak 225L barriques, 30% new. The final wine was prepared for bottling on 19 February 2026.

The Moore River riesling vineyard was established in 1978, making it one of the most mature vineyards in the Great Southern. This Mount Barker site is dry grown, and consistently provides excellent growing conditions for dry riesling.

The 2025 season delivered good even temperatures with very little rain over the growing period. Harvest was slightly earlier than usual. The conditions were ideal for premium Great Southern riesling, which was one of the outstanding varieties of the vintage.

The fruit was handpicked and whole-bunch pressed on 17 March 2025.

The primary focus in the winery was to preserve the fruit’s delicate varietal flavours and aromas. The juice was cold settled and fermented at a temperature of 14°C. It was then left to rest until preparation for bottling in July 2025.

Fiano is a white Italian grape variety that is grown primarily in the Campania region of southern Italy and on the island of Sicily. It has been introduced to the Great Southern region in more recent years and the 2026 season delivered good growing conditions for fiano. Temperatures were consistent, with relatively low rainfall, encouraging fruit with nice depth of flavour.

The fiano fruit was picked after dawn on 22 and 24 March 2026. The fruit was sorted and then pressed. The juice underwent a long and slow cold fermentation in a stainless-steel tank immediately after pressing to preserve the natural fruit characters. When the wine had completed its fermentation, it was racked off its lees. The purpose of this approach is to maintain the subtle textures and crisp finish. The wine was prepared for bottling on 6 August 2026.