Our Wine

Background
The Buninyong Springs Vineyard on the Sinclair of Scotsburn Estate, is situated at 256 Wiggins Road Scotsburn and was purchased by David and Barbara Sinclair in June 2001.

The Sinclair of Scotsburn Estate is nestled on the slopes of Mt Buninyong, with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, vineyard and lake. Originally part of a larger holding subdivided in 1990 the total area of the property including the leasehold is 42.5 acres.


Terroir
The vineyard is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Buninyong at an elevation of 550 metres. The soils in the vineyard are of volcanic origin with silty clayey loams and some sandstone rocks. The climate is characterised by cold winters and warm to hot summers with average rainfall of 700mm/annum.


Viticulture
Buninyong Springs Vineyard was established in 1997 with 3 acres of Chardonnay (clone I 10V5) and 2 acres of Pinot Noir (clone MV6) being planted, a total of over 4500 vines.

The vineyard is watered by drip irrigation with the water pumped from a dam on Back Creek, which flows from the northeastern slopes of Mt. Buninyong.

The vines are caned pruned and trellised to maximise the fruits exposure to sunlight. Cropping levels are maintained below 2 tonnes/acre to ensure high quality, cool climate fruit.

Bird netting is used to protect the crop and ensure that it can be picked when the sugar level and flavour characteristics have reached optimum levels. The fruit is hand picked usually in April or early May.


Wine Making
The wine is made under contract by Scott Ireland of Provenance Wines located at Sutherland's Creek near Geelong.


Wallijak Chardonnay
The chardonnay is fermented in barrels using natural yeasts and matured in a mixture of new and old French oak barriques for about nine months. The wine is then filtered and bottled in February or March.


Manor House Pinot Noir
The pinot noir is fermented in small open fermenters and is then pressed into a mixture of new and old French oak barriques for a maturation period of about nine months. The wine is then filtered and bottled in February or March.


Vintage History
2002
The original owners picked less than a quarter of a tonne of Pinot Noir. This was made into wine by a wine maker in the Yarra Valley and was used for their own consumption.

2003
All the grapes were sold to Ian Watson of Tom Boy Hill and were included in the Tom Boy Hill Rebellion blends.

2004
All the grapes were again sold to Tom Boy Hill. The Pinot Noir was included in the Rebellion blend. The chardonnay was made into a single vineyard wine "The Scotsburn Chardonnay" which won a bronze medal at the Ballarat Wine Show and was included in the "James Halliday Australian Wine Companion (2007 Edition)"

2005
Half the grapes were sold to Tom Boy Hill. The other half were made under the "Sinclair of Scotsburn" label.

2006
One third of the chardonnay was sold to Tom Boy Hill and one third to Provenance Wines. The other third was made under the "Sinclair of Scotsburn" label. Two thirds of the Pinot Noir was sold to Provenance Wines and the balance was made under the "Sinclair of Scotsburn" label.

Awards
The Sinclair of Scotsburn 2005 Manor House Pinot Noir achieved the prestigious bronze medal award in the Federation Square Victorian Wine Regions Showcase Series - Wine Awards 2007, in the class of Dry Red - Pinot Noir.

Sinclair of Scotsburn Pinot Noir won a bronze medal at the 2007 Ballarat Wine Show and the Chardonnay won a bronze medal at the 2007 Daylesford Wine Show.

Reviews
Sinclair of Scotsburn also achieved a five star rating in the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2008, with five glasses awarded both to their Wallijak Chardonnay 2005 and their Manor House Pinot Noir 2005.