ANSTED&CO. is my personal project. Although I make wine for other people ANSTED&CO. gives me the opportunity to make wines that reflect my own personal philosophy without compromise. My ultimate aim is to make wines that reflect their origins, which includes, where the grapes are grown, the variety and my own sense of style. I want my wines to have intensity, complexity and harmony. My approach is to focus first and foremost on the vineyard which then allows me to take a hands-off approach with the winemaking.
BlackJack Vineyards is situated on the granitic soil of the Harcourt Valley in the Bendigo wine region of Central Victoria.
BlackJack was the name given to an American sailor who, during the Gold Rush era of the 1850s jumped ship and found his way to the Castlemaine Goldfields. A road adjacent to BlackJack Vineyard still bears his name.
Perhaps following a similar dream but in search of liquid gold, Ian McKenzie and Ken Pollock and their families planted their first vines on an old apple orchard at Harcourt in 1988. Further planting in 1989 completed the initial four hectare vineyard development of mainly shiraz and cabernet sauvignon with a small area of merlot as well.
More shiraz was planted in 1998 on what has become known as Block 6. Part of this block is on Castlemaine sandstone gravel rather than the very old granitic soils on the rest of the property. The different soil profile and different clonal material gives Block 6 Shiraz what we see as more Rhone - like Characters.
BlackJack Vineyards released its first wine in November 1994 and in the short period since has established an enviable reputation for producing fine and generous red wine. BlackJack has twice won the trophy for best shiraz at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show – in 1996 for its 1994 shiraz, and in 2004 for its 2002 Block 6 Shiraz. The latter wine also won the Premier's Gold Trophy for the best Victorian wine of the show.
Four vineyards situated in central Victoria have provided fruit for the early vintages of trust. Each vineyard was selected for its potential to add interest, complexity and individuality to the final blend.
We have had the benefit of handling this fruit for many years and therefore recognised the attributes of each site. Each vineyard is fully mature and has a balance of fruit to canopy, allowing for true expression of its unique situation.
Not far from the tiny settlement of Serpentine, about 50km northwest of Bendigo, Turners Crossing vineyard rests on the banks of the Loddon River on the Old Bridgewater-Serpentine road.
On inspecting the site in 2002, Phil Bennett thought the land had the potential to be a productive and viable vineyard. And he was right. After intensive soil testing and irrigation planning, site preparation began followed by the extensive planting and trellising of the vines.
Since then, Turners Crossing has been producing wines of outstanding quality that speak of a sense of place and provenance. A combination of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and the rare Italian variety, Picolit vines thrive on 42 hectares of well-drained, red sandy clay topsoil. The sub-soil is red light-to-medium clay containing limestone pebbles.
The vineyard is virtually pesticide and chemical free; warm days and cool nights allow grapes to ripen during the day and the vines to recover overnight. Vines are spur-pruned and bud numbers are calculated to deliver low yields, but quality fruit.
