l'élagueur

To the unschooled eye the vines all look the same, creating a daunting sight walking into the vineyard to begin pruning. Each vine, however, displays it's own idiosyncrasies from seasons past. Within a minute or so each vine's potential quality (and quantity) for the 2011 vintage will be determined.

Winter, thus far, has been unsympathetic to pruning. We don't prune in the rain - due mainly to increased risk of spreading potential disease between vines. Hence we're currently about 2 weeks behind schedule.

For us in the winery we relish pruning our superior parcels - we walk out of each row with the vines and  soil essentially undisturbed until spring. This includes burning all of the previous years growth removed from the vine. This serves two mains purposes - repressing the spread of potential diseased cuttings while avoiding the need for a tractor to pass over the soil to mulch the cuttings. While we minimise all tractor passes through the vineyard, we finely mulch and forage many of the cuttings as an essential ingredient during our compost assemblage.

The result. Two canes, each with 3 or 4 upward facing buds, tightly wrapped around the wire.

Fleetingly in the cellar to top barrels the music tends to be alluring and pensive...

harmony

A challengingly enjoyable time of the year as juvenile vines of impetuous nature as Gewurztraminer, Marsanne & Muscat a Petit Grains threaten to run amok in the vineyard. In the cellar the natural malolactic fermentations of the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Viogniers subside. The aim is always for harmony in all our wines but sometimes you just need a little help from a few friends...

Lama Shedrup and Rinpoche Toulong enjoying the maceration of 2007 Malbec

Lama Shedrup returns to ensure the same wine is dispatched....with happiness & harmony

Lamas Shedrup's infectious smile is illuminating!

...a further example of pure harmony - from Grizzly Bear's album, Veckatimest - sure to be near the top of best albums of 2009...on high rotation in the cellar

New Arrival

Introducing Zepelin, and her proud mother Xena. The latest addition to the Millton family, born this past Thursday, already he's as inquisitive & friendly as his mum & five aunties.

Our herd of red shorthorns play an essential role in our vineyards. Not only does their manure contribute to our compost and preparation 500, as animals with a strong connection to the earth, they embody biodynamic culture.

With so many legally required statements on modern wine labels we've decided to use the cow as a symbol of our biodynamic wine estate on all our 2009 vintage wines and our new Crazy by Nature range...


This coming Saturday 24th October we'll be letting our hair down to celebrate the official release of our 2009 Muskats @ Dawn & 2009 Merlot Rosé with Muskats@Millton. This afternoon in the sun is headlined by the glorious Cut off your hands. Here's a taste of what to expect. Dust off your skinny black jeans...