This special single vineyard (Block K) bottling is dedicated to Kaye Dhillon (1938-1985) and comes from two select parcels (from within the Block K vineyard) from our most elevated Bindi planting established in 2001.  One Block K parcel of 115 clone Pinot Noir runs directly alongside Block 5 and the other parcel comes from the very top Block K rows of the MV6 clone Pinot Noir.

This vineyard sits just below the end of the Mount Gisborne lava flow and is underpinned by ancient Ordovician period soils incorporating mudstone, sandstone, much quartz rock and clay with a covering of varying amounts of much younger, fine volcanic top soil.

The selection for KAYE is limited to the best vats from the specific soil profiles and is generally between 70 and 150 dozen, vintage dependent.  These vines are managed in the usual Bindi way without herbicides or pesticides and utilise undervine cultivation and extremely rigorous hand canopy management from pruning to harvest.

This new project from the granite soils in the northern end of the Macedon Ranges at 460m above sea level is an exciting addition to our activities. The vineyard was established in 1995 and the fruit has ostensibly been “lost” interstate until new Victorian owners took over in spring 2021. The new regime has quickly invested in the infrastructure and fine-tuned activities and several top producers are sourcing fruit from this excellent site. The Riesling was harvested in early April and wild yeast fermented in old French oak then matured for six months on fine yeast lees. In the winemaking mind it was important to preserve/respect the vibrancy of the fruit but to also seek further subtle depth of complexity and palate texture and flow. Not too fruity, not too savoury, hopefully a wine to please Goldilocks. It feels like we have landed pretty close to where we would like the style to be. The nose is quite complex with grapefruit, guava, spice, lime juice and wet stone aromas evident. The palate is balanced, fresh, harmoniously textured and ends very clean, chalky and long. It’s very delicious.

The Accidental Red came about in 2022 by…..unforeseen opportunity…..by accident! The Merlot being pressed for Rosé had too much juice remaining to discard to compost and Shiraz pressings had too much colour for Rosé so in they went together. In 2023 we decided to make the Accidental Red deliberately and to make it better. And we have done the same again in 2024! Merlot berries are fermented with pressed out Shiraz juice, so in effect there was half the amount of the usual skins for the wine volume. This year we added 5% malbec fruit to the blend. A relatively quick wild yeast fermentation (limiting the time on skins) then into barrel for malolactic and six months maturing through the winter. Simple. This wine is from premium Macedon Ranges fruit yet comes in as a bright, chillable, quaffable, deliberately inexpensive fun wine. It’s red cherry fruity and gently juicy with spice and earth giving added layers. The palate is supple in a mid-weight Pinot-like way with silky, fine, pippy tannins on the lingering finish.

This vintage has seen the Pyrette really hit its stride (quickened, elevated steps?). The fruit is sourced, as usual, from the Colbinabbin vineyard (starting in 2001) and the Col Mountain vineyard (starting in 2014). It is made in a similar way to the Pinot Noirs, with the exception of seeing around 20% whole bunch inclusion in the fermentations (rather than zero or close to zero for the Pinots).

The 2022 is very complex with beautiful aromas; mulberry, red and dark plum, spice and graphite. The medium weight palate has flair and is intense with the fruit power driving a structured and firm finish. These wines certainly improve with eight years cellaring and drink for many years after that but can also be enjoyed for their medium weight and harmony right now.