Late last year the irreplaceable Helen Graham retired. For many of you she is missed as one of the main voices at the end of the telephone. For me personally she played an even more important role; she was the North Star of this wonderful vineyard and winery, underpinning its unique culture. 

I would frequently check in with Helen about individual wines. As someone who got more feedback from our customers than anyone, she was my ultimate check and balance on the wines I have been crafting, making sure they fitted the unique style. Over the past couple of decades she has, mostly, given me the thumbs up (the exception being my grammar). 

There have only been a couple of adjustments to how the wines have been made, sparked by our changing vineyard environment that has become more challenging. We have more wetter years, more drier ones, more cool ones and more warmer ones. We don’t do normal anymore.

For example, we had a run of hot dry years from 2013 culminating in the earliest pick we have ever had in 2019, and the wipeout of the 2020 vintage by smoke taint. All of which coincided with a mouse plague and Covid. Oh, what a joyous time that was!

There has been one other constant participant in my journey – the vines – and I am very thankful they can't up and leave like Helen has. It amazes me that these 56-year-olds have endured scorching heatwaves, relentless droughts, flooding rains, a savage late frost and hail. And yet these vines are giving me grapes of a higher quality than when I first started here.

I've seen trends come and go in that time. In cricket, sledging stopped being a thing, as did sandpaper. Apparently social media has become a thing – one day I might look into this, but for now I'm happy to leave that to Nicky. In the wine world Chardonnay, which was out of fashion in the early 2000’s (I’m looking at you Kath and Kim), has since come roaring back to popularity. Regional Australian Shiraz has grown tremendously in global stature, although bigger, cloying examples (I’m looking at you McLaren Vale) are being rightfully treated the same as anyone who has still has Gangnam Style on their playlist.

It has been an exciting and rewarding 20 years but there’s so much more to come. Last year’s Trophy for Best Grenache at the Sydney Royal Wine Show is both a culmination of my experiences as a winemaker, but also a portent of things to come as the vines are just 10 years old. I'm thrilled with the quality of the wines on the bench now, and maturing in the hayshed, awaiting release. 

I am as enthusiastic about growing and making wine as I was in 2005 when I came to the vineyard. Me and the vines I live among are getting older, wiser and better looking. We've plenty left to offer.