Mount Mary – Yarra Valley
Mount Mary was awarded “2018 winery of the year” by James Halliday MW, Australia’s pre-eminent wine critic.
Their “Quintet” Bordeaux Bland is recognised by Langton’s Australian Wine Classification as one of only 5 Australian “Grand Crus” and is classified as “Exceptional”. Their Chardonnay is classified as “excellent”.
Mount Mary is a family owned, single vineyard estate located in the heart of the Yarra Valley. The region is in the south-eastern corner of Australia, east of Melbourne in the state of Victoria. Established in 1971 by John and Marli Middleton, Mount Mary was one of the first vineyards planted in the resurgence of the Yarra Valley as a premium wine producing region.
The inspiration behind the planting of vines in the Yarra Valley came from the Swiss settlers of the 1850’s. These worldly and hard working immigrants had been greatly influenced by the French wine producers and recognised the climatic parallels the Yarra Valley shared with Bordeaux and Burgundy.
During the 1960’s John and Marli Middleton, driven by a passion for fine table wine, became hooked on French premium wines and the thought of producing something similar in Australia in the footsteps of the Swiss. They resolved to find a suitable site upon which to establish a small commercial vineyard with the intention of making elegant, refined wines from French grape varieties.
And so it was that in 1971, John and Marli stumbled upon the property known as Mount Mary. Surprisingly, this ideally located, gentle north facing slope had not been planted to the vine yet they immediately recognised it as being ideal for their purpose. The first plantings were completed by mid 1972 and today Mount Mary has 40 acres under vine representing 18 varieties.
The four Mount Mary Vineyard estate wines are comprised of two blends traditionally grown and made in Bordeaux, France (Quintet and Triolet) and two varieties traditionally grown and made in Burgundy, France (Pinot noir and Chardonnay).
All their wines are made from estate grown fruit and are produced and bottled on site at Mount Mary.