2021 'Yellow Hammer Hill' Shiraz

David (aka ‘Duck’) and Diana planted the first vines in 1974 and in 1979 named the first vineyard Alan’s Cabernet Vineyard, after Duck’s late father Alan. The Original Vineyard was planted in 1988 on land owned by Diana’s parents. Duck and Diana have three children – Liam, Ngaire and Bridie. Traditional winemaking methods including hand-picking, open fermentation, hand-plunging, basket-pressing, and long-term barrel-ageing are fostered, as is the use biodynamic principles on our own vineyards. Duck remains adamant however, that it’s still the vineyard and site selection especially, that dictate great wines.

Second-generation winemaking has flourished for more than a decade through Liam, whose methodical yet innovative approaches merge fantastically with Duck’s eccentricity – a humorous and brilliant concoction! Their passion is to produce extraordinary wines of balance and power that enrich and delight the senses.

 Yellow Hammer Hill was the collective vision of Duck and some long-time friends and fellow ‘agricultural drinkers’. Shiraz and Malbec were chosen as the varieties of choice due to their wonderful complimentary characteristics. The fruit-driven fullness of Shiraz and floral notes and wonderful texture of Malbec, lend themselves to a wine that is delightful when consumed in early years, and develops into a brooding complexity of spice and fruit after careful cellaring.

Heathcote, Victoria