The Castagna Vineyard is situated at an altitude of 500 metres five-and-a-half kilometres outside the beautiful town of Beechworth in Northeast Victoria, high in the foothills of the Australian Alps.
Our soil consists mainly of decomposed granitic-loam on a base of clay. The climate is distinctly Mediterranean with hot days and cool nights during the important part of the growing season. The land is farmed biodynamically; using Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic principles, because we believe it is the best way to achieve optimum fruit quality that best expresses its terroir. The vineyard is hand-pruned and the fruit is hand-picked. We crop at a bit less than two tons per acre. The winemaking is very traditional using only our own vineyard's indigenous yeast with minimal interference. Elevage varies between 18-20 months using only the very best, tight grain French oak available, about half of which is new each year.
Our intention is to make, as simply as possible, wine which is an expression of the place where it is grown.
Some thoughts on our progress...
With the passing of the years, the vines are changing from being producers
of youthful, vibrant fruit to ones that deliver more brooding, moody, nervous
fruit. It is as if they have given up their years of childhood frivolity and
have taken on the angst of teenagers; more aware of the complexity of life yet
not fully evolved to deal with the twists and turns that can so quickly beset
them. Not fully mature, but nevertheless, full of a joie-de-vie that is also
marked by a sense of uncertainty. Believe me; I could be watching my two sons
grow up in front of me again. The promise of something special is there, it
just needs time and careful handling to coax the best out of these vines, especially
given the challenges that our recent weather has placed upon our vineyard. What
is now apparent is the increased level of texture in the wines. Flavours continue
to be subtle but the depth and texture in the wines continues to grow. In their
early development they appear rich and complex but with a nervy edge that makes
them initially less silky. The desire not to make the oak regime a dominating
feature gives the wine the opportunity to mellow whilst maintaining its spirit.
So, as we watch our vines mature, we think of our boys, and if the resulting
wines turn out like them, we will be happy little vignerons.
Some thoughts on Biodynamics…
I have, up to now, been a bit hesitant to write about our biodynamic stature
as biodynamics, for us, is a process of work rather than a method of selling
wine. I am often asked to explain scientifically what biodynamics is, and this,
too, I have found difficult to do: not that biodynamics doesn't have a basis
in science, but rather that I am really not competent to explain it well.
Biodynamics for me is intuitive; a craft rather than a science. However, I
have recently come across what I think is a wonderful, simple explanation of
the biodynamic compost preparations by Professor Stuart B. Hill, previously
of the Department of Entomology McGill University, Canada and then the Department
of Social Ecology, University of Western Sydney-Hawkesbury - his take on biodynamics
is shared in the current Newsletter.
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website by ibicus internet 2002