THE MONS RUBRA VINEYARD

The Mons Rubra vineyard is situated on Red Hill of Macedon Ranges and was chosen because of the rich red volcanic soil and its north facing elevated position. The vineyard is situated on a hill which is geologically classified as a tertiary volcanic vent site associated with the Hanging Rock volcanic core and there are only three of these sites identified within this area. Since the true character of Pinot Noir is expressed and can only reach perfection when it is grown in a cool climate this is the perfect location.
This cool region ensures we produce exemplary Pinot Noir fruit although there is the risk of Spring frosts.
Pinot Noir originated in the French region of Burgundy where it is most renowned and from where the ancient clone of MV6 was reputedly planted by the Roman armies on their invasions throughout Western Europe particularly the area around Burgundy approximately 2000 years ago. This grape is considered very difficult to grow because they are low yielding; the skins are very thin and easily damaged by frost, mould and disease. Their delicate nature means that the wines they produce are considered precious.

The Vines

The vines were planted 1 metre apart with 120 vines per row and each row is 2.5 metres apart to allow maximum airflow to assist reduction of disease and allow optimal amount of sunlight. Pruning is done by hand as is the harvest.  The method of planting and pruning was carefully designed; summer leaf plucking is carried out to aerate the canopy and allow sunlight penetration of the leaves and grape bunches to promote flavour development.  We achieve a crop of approximately 3 tonnes per hectare in order that the delicate nuances of the wine are maximized.

Macedon Ranges

Macedon Ranges region is cool to cold by world standards. As a result it offers wine that is limited in quantity and exceptionally high in quality.

James Halliday’s Wine Atlas of Australia quotes:
“Even in the new millennium, there is an improbably wild and untamed feeling about this region – improbable given its proximity to the immediate north of Melbourne.  The winds blow hard for most of the year...Site selection (altitude, protection from wind and spring frosts, and maximum sun interception from north and north east facing slopes), the careful matching of site and grape variety, razor sharp canopy management and relatively low yield are all prerequisites for success..”