Gembrook Hill makes some of the Yarra's most distinctive Pinot Noirs. This release brings three of them, each drawn from the same five hectares yet each its own wine, alongside a Chardonnay that is every bit as admired. Ian and June Marks planted the vineyard in 1983, set in a natural amphitheatre at the southernmost, coolest edge of the Upper Yarra. The soil is deep red volcanic. Warm days give way to sharply cooler nights, and the fruit comes in up to a month later than vineyards lower down. These are demanding conditions, and the wines are better for them, carrying length, freshness and tension.
Andrew Marks, Ian and June's son, now manages everything from soil to bottle. He works the vineyard by hand and adjusts his approach to each season rather than following a fixed method. That attention is what sets these wines apart. The result is wines of rare precision across the range, the kind that reward a second glass and a few years in the cellar.
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