The vineyard was planted in the mid-1990s, and when it was taken over by Stormflower in June 2007 there was over 14 Hectares of vines, including around 1.8 Ha of Cabernet Franc, 0.6 Ha of Merlot and 0.5 Ha of Petit Verdot. The vineyard needed attention and there were virtually no records of clones, yields, fertiliser history or other useful information.

In 2009 we decided to pull out the Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines as they were very low yielding and not the focus varietals of Stormflower. Later adjustments included pulling out around 1.5 Ha of weak Cabernet Sauvignon behind the dam, 5 rows (0.5 Ha) of Shiraz that contained some rogue varieties, and 200 of the best Cabernet Sauvignon vines (10% of the South block) to make the new entry road.

The resulting vineyard sits at around 9.2 hectares and the current varieties are:

Cabernet Sauvignon 1.77 Ha
Shiraz 2.20 Ha
Chardonnay 1.71 Ha
Sauvignon Blanc 1.75 Ha
Semillon 0.82 Ha
Chenin Blanc 0.91 Ha

Our lowest yielding variety is generally the Chardonnay, with the toughest position on the property and a sensitive varietal at the best of times. In 2021 we planted another 0.5 Ha of Chardonnay, and as these young vines start to contribute to the yields we hope to share our Chardonnay more widely, as its current production means it is reserved only for the Usual Suspects. We have also planted a small amount of Alvarinho and are looking forward to seeing what that varietal will produce in our area.

We ensure that our viticultural and winemaking practices are as gentle on the environment as they can be, and we focus on regenerating and working with our natural ecosystems. Maintaining organic certification is a way of providing independent assurance to our customers and supporters that we practice what we preach. It is important to us that we are transparent about our activities in the vineyard and in the winery, because what we do affects more than just our immediate surroundings.