About
Eastern Peake Vineyards are set on a small plateau at Coghills Creek in the Ballarat Highlands some 25 km from Ballarat. A dramatic backdrop of a rugged granite outcrop of Mt Bolton, namely ‘Eastern Peake’ is to the west of the vineyard, creating the stunning view seen from the property. The east the vineyard overlooks the Mammaloid Hills of the Creswick Plains, named by Major Mitchell during his epic trail.
The Eastern Peake Vineyard was established in 1983, the first plantings being 8 acres of Pinot Noir followed by 4 acres of Chardonnay in 1991. In 1994 the decision was made to establish a winery and cellar door facility at Coghill’s Creek. The winery was completed in time for the 1995 vintage.
THE EASTERN PEAKE VINEYARD
Eastern Peake is positioned at 430 metres above sea level, which is relatively high within Australian vineyards. The vineyard is a flat relief between fertile undulations. The site was originally selected for a vineyard by the late Trevor Mast (most famous for Mt Langi Ghiran). The soil is duplex in nature with clay loam basalt overlying a subsoil of clay and fine iron stone. The cool climate is ideal for producing high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
VITICULTURE
This is the most important part of Eastern Peake - The long standing Philosophy is that great wines are made from great healthy vineyards planted on an interesting site, a great winemaker never imprints their DNA the wine should always reflect the place it was grown.
Our vines are all caned pruned, trellised east-west. Vertical shoot positioning is utilised to maximise the exposure of the fruit to sunlight. we've transitioned from Regenerative Agriculture & use Organic Farming Practices on our land. Now the transition over to the philosophies of Quantum Agriculture, this has been a long term vision for our land.
Under vine cultivation is preformed to reduce to competion from weeds under vine using a Pellanc Tourensol, we've just upgraded to a new Clemens Radius SL Plus Under vine Cultivator which is far more effective/gentle on the vineyard. Extensive straw mulch is also spread under vine to increase organic matter, microorganism's & activity as well as reducing evaporation in summer & the loss of top soil. Disease pressures are normally low due to the relatively dry growing season, which allows the use of Copper & Sulphur, Ecocarb.
From 1998 - 2018 the vineyard was dry grown on low cropping levels (1-1.5 tonne/acre) the decision was made to reinstall all the irrigation for the the 2019 season, fortunately we did as there was no rain from mid December until mid may. This is the driest growing season on record. Thus from now Supplementary irrigation is carried out. Cropping levels are around 1tonne - 2.5 tonne to the acre for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Being at 430M ASL on a plateau helps with the flow of frost during the growing season, air currents are drawn down into the Creswick Valley below. This prevents frost from settling on the vines at their most venerable growth stages.
Picking is carried out by hand, harvest is Usually Mid April, although in recent years due to climate change harvest has been in early march, sometimes difficult vintages it can be mid May before picking is completed.
Extensive use of bird netting ensures that the fruit can be harvested when the flavour profile and balance of acid and sugar levels have reached their optimum levels. Thanks to all the good farming practice & a very unique site the fruit is always in great condition most years. No Additions in the Winery are ever needed, we always have excellent natural acidity with a optimum ripeness on fruit year in year out. hence why the winery is run with Indigenous yeasts, the wines are unforced - their malo-lactic fermentation occurs naturally, everything is unfined, unfiltered & un-tinkered just a small amount of sulphur before bottling around 15-50ppm depending on the wine.
2021 Intrinsic Chardonnay
Volcanic grey loam soils over weathered basalt sitting on a high plateau at 430m alt, this block of chardonnay was established in 1991 with Clone I10V5. Farmed organically, it was a generally relaxed season with minimal pressures on the viticultural front. Unfortunately quantities of the 2021 are pretty limited, over the past few years cropping levels have been lower due to lots of retraining of older vines with eutypa, It's a slow process but one that will prosper in the future (this September/October a new planting of 6000 chardonnay vines, clone: B76 is finally commencing which we're very excited about). Harvested & whole bunch pressed on 2/04/2021, fermented naturally in 300L hogs heads & 228L barriques, during élevage there is absolutely no racking & no disruption of lees, its left on full lees with zero interference, the wine always goes through a full natural malo on its own (September - November) a small amount of sulphur post malo, racked 3/4/2022 to stainless tank no fining or filtering, bottled 11/10/2022 A small amount of sulphur post malo & pre bottling. A fine example of true Eastern Peake Chardonnay.
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 18 March 2023
"Small crops in ye olde 2021, so consumers, act fast. Long, slow winemaking too. Lees for its life pre bottling. Cool wine.
It’s fine and fresh but has concentration and detail. Slick texture but cool restraint. Glossy! Lemon curd, flint, nougat, licks of oatmeal, touch of caramel, and green almond. Beautiful texture, let’s repeat that. Saline mineral charm in the mix. Fantastic wine here, lots of flavour, lots of character. Proper."
95 Points
JamesSuckling.com Review by Ned Goodwin MW
"This is an incredibly intense, mid-weighted chardonnay. Palate-staining, such is the density and uber ripe stone-fruit inflections, feeling as if they've come from grapes that have hung on the vine for some time. A great vintage, mind. Cool, dutifully warm when needed and very long. It's all come together here. This has that dried tatami and flaxen lanolin whiff, not dissimilar to great Jura. Chamomile, ginger crystals, mandarin skin, oatmeal and curry powder, in kind. A long linger, wafting through every crevice in the mouth. Beautiful stuff. A little looser and more concentrated than the Two Mile sibling. Drink or hold."
96 Points
The Real Review review by Huon Hooke
"Medium-full yellow; oak is the first aroma—smart and spicy oak—while the fruit favour fills in where it counts, on the palate. Toasty, roasty nutty aromas lead and there is superb fruit concentration beneath, the shape of the wine refined and tensioned, with intensity and focus, driving long into a sustained and satisfying finish. An outstanding chardonnay in which very good fruit has been augmented by a paintbox of complexing factors. (Wild fermentation and full malolactic in oak barriques and hogsheads) 26 MAR 2023
2023–2033"
96 Points
2021 Intrinsic Pinot Noir
Wow 2021 was such a perfect season, low pressure farming, excellent flowering, everything went to plan in the vineyard with our organic practices, a very good feeling knowing all the input in the season might have a good output on some really lovely wines. The vines are MV6 clone grown on Volcanic grey loam soils over weathered basalt sitting at 430m alt, plantings ranging from 40 - 27 years. This year in September we are planting another 2000 Pinot Noir vines using 115 clone, exciting times 40 years on from our 1st establishment. Blocks harvested from 4/04 - 6/4/21, all destemmed into our original 3000L concrete fermenters using no pumps, as always spontaneous fermentation via our indigenous yeasts, pump overs twice daily, vats basket pressed 19/04/2021 - 20/04/2021, transferred into 228L barriques of various coopers, topped monthly, sulphur added post malo in November, racked from barrels in late march 2022 no fining or filtering, bottled on 21/10/22. A small amount of sulphur post malo & pre bottling. If you've been following us you'll know that 1997 & 2001 are pretty special vintages, 2021 feels like it might be in the same club.
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 19 March 2023
"The intrinsic one, right? Gary tasted it and said ‘tastes like an Italian wine, nerello or something’ when I handed him my tasting glass. We’d been on a run of Italian and Portuguese wines and it feels kindred.
Has this mix of loose knit feel and tightly wound, very fine, powdery and crushed rock tannins, that sense of pebbly minerality in acidity and a good deal of dried sage leaf, paprika spice amongst the tart-ish, sour cherry fruit characters. Softness and brightness in the same sip too. A very moreish wine, very good indeed."
94 Points
JamesSuckling.com Review by Ned Goodwin MW
"This is an excellent pinot noir from a sensitive hand and absolutely cracker of a vintage. The intensity of flavor almost belies the mid-weighted, svelte, pithy and incredibly vibrant and thrilling nature of it all. Fermented under the aegis of wild yeast and unusually, at least for the contemporary zeitgeist, fully de-stemmed. For the better. Others should take note. The tannins, a fine, gravelly weave. Griotte, damson, pimento, musk, orange peel and a faint carnal whiff of autumnal decay. This is a sumptuous, succulent wine that doesn't slip into excessive sweetness. Among the most delicious pinots tasted this year, putting a halt to my tasting regime of the evening so I can enjoy the rest of the bottle. Solo. Very difficult to put down. Drink or hold for a decade. It will only get better."
96 Points
The Real Review review by Huon Hooke
"Bright, medium-deep red-purple colour with aromas of raspberry, blackberry, mint and vanilla, the palate lean and highly tensioned, with refreshing acidity and impressive line. The tannins are taut and firm, impressing themselves on the long-lasting finish with vitality and purpose. A really impressive pinot noir with a future ahead of it. (2021 was a ""perfect season"". All destemmed fruit. Wild ferment, unfined, unfiltered.) 23 MAR 2023
2023–2033"
95 Points
2020 Walsh Block Syrah
Vinification
Vinified in rectangular small open wax lined concrete fermenters, 15% wholebunch, indigenous yeasts, hand plunged, long extended post ferment maceration , unforced naturally occurring malolactic fermentation, unfined, unfiltered & un-tinkered, Minimal Sulfites added at bottling.
Grown by Long term friends Frank & Kerry Walsh, directly over the road on the same soil type as Eastern Peake weathered basalt on grey loam. First established with pinot noir in 1995 then a second 1 acre planting in 2003 of the famed Syrah (Clone PT23). 2020 was a very tough season for most, the Syrah is tucked away behind the pinot noir which delivered a beautiful crop, low pressure growing season, Cropping levels were great due to the later flowering, a really good fruit set. Harvested 2/04/2020, destemmed over 30% whole bunches, Fermented naturally in a wax lined open concrete vat 3000L, basket pressed 17/04/2020, 12 months élevage in 500L & 228L casks, no fining or filtering, bottled 30/08/2021
A small amount of sulphur post malo & pre bottling.
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 12 April 2022
"From the block over the back fence at Eastern Peake, the neighbours grow a patch that results in three to four tonnes. Lovely to meet the humans who own the vines too; and to taste the wine in their and the Latta family’s company.
Red cherry, smoky paprika characters, Chinese five spice, some minty notes. An almost pinosity to the texture and weight but for darker fruit characters, black olive, more liquorice and alpine herb notes and a lengthy, gently chewy finish with blood orange freshness closing, long. Has this gulpability and yet plenty of detail. Very good."
94 Points
2021 Two Mile Hill Chardonnay
Karel Schaefer Loves chardonnay, a conversation started back in 2015 about planting some vines to satisfy the thirst. Karel & Family planted their first vines at Two Mile Hill in 2017, it’s a 4 acre site with 3 different soil types & 3 varieties. The Chardonnay is planted on rich red volcanic soil with a south slightly west facing slope with the clone i10V5, this is the first vintage produced from Two Mile Hill, with exciting 2022s in barrel & a lovely looking crop for 2023. It’s located 5km form Eastern Peake from which you can still see our vineyard & seems to be one/two weeks earlier than us with flowering & harvest dates. Farming is shared between Karel & us under our guidence. Harvested & whole bunch pressed on 24/03/2021, fermented naturally in 300L hogs heads & 228L barriques, during élevage there is no racking, left on full lees no interference with the lees, the wine always goes through full malo on its own, a small amount of sulphur post malo, racked 3/4/2022 to stainless tank no fining or filtering, bottled 11/10/2022 A small amount of sulphur post malo & pre bottling.
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 18 March 2023
"From a four acre site a five kilometre stroll from Eastern Peake. Same-same winemaking, lo-fi stuff, lees time, no filter no fine, wild ferment and the rest.
Lemony! Scents of lemon verbena, lemon butter, wheat and white chocolate mint. Flavour profile is lemon myrtle tea, paperbark, mint, eucalyptus lollies and faint green almond. Fine and succulent in the palate. The texture also is a bit shuddery, chops and chews with nice grip though. Very refreshing, unique in a way, very Aussie bush in its character."
93 Points
JamesSuckling.com Review by Ned Goodwin MW
"This is exceptional, reminding me of Ganevat the way it rolls across the palate, ebbing with reductive tension, saline bite and a relaxed, mid-weighted, oxidative flow across the finish, the signature of a judicious, minimal sulfur regime. Chamomile, nougat, cheese cloth, roasted hazelnuts, nectarine and tatami straw. The underlying energy is compelling, whetting the appetite for the next glass and the next. Wonderful wine. Among the most exciting chardonnay tasted in the last 12 months. Drink or hold."
97 Points
2021 Two Mile Hill Pinot Noir
Karel Schaefer & Family planted their first vines at Two Mile Hill in 2017, it’s a 4 acre site with 3 different soil types & 3 varieties sitting 380m in elevation. The Pinot Noir is planted on weathered basalt chocolate brown volcanic soil, established on the flat base of the hill with no slope, this is the first vintage produced from Two Mile Hill, there’s exciting 2022s in barrel & a really lovely looking crop for 2023. It’s located 5km form Eastern Peake from which you can still see our vineyard & seems to be one/two weeks earlier than us with flowering & harvest dates. Farming is shared between Karel & us under our guidence. Harvested on 24/03/2021, destemmed using no pumps into a small open top fermenter, spontaneous fermentation indigenous yeast, pump overs twice daily, basket pressed 2/04/2021, transferred into 228L barriques, topped monthly, sulphur added post malo in November, racked from barrels in late march 2022 no fining or filtering, a small amount of sulphur post malo & pre bottling. bottled on 11/10/2022.
Winefront Review by Mike Bennie
Posted on 19 March 2023
"From down the road, a new release wine from a friend/neighbour site that caught young (and sexy) Owen Latta’s dreamy eyes. There’s 2022s to come and 2023 is looking good, he says.
Sappy and savoury style red. Scents of baked/dried berries, hazelnut, alpine herb and ripe cherry. The palate strikes a similar chord with chewy but fine tannin, a squeakiness in texture too. Quite intensely red cherried with maraschino and fresh juice combined. White peppery finish, pleasing, lifting the wine. Lovely drink."
93 Points
(Image: Eastern Peake / www.easternpeake.com.au)