Macedon Ranges, Victoria

Overview

The Macedon Ranges region continues to grow far more quickly than one would imagine. The beauty and lifestyle of the area, together with its proximity to Melbourne, are all factors contributing to its success. In the context of much of mainland Australia, this is a totally atypical wine region; downright chilly in its windswept south-east and only marginally warmer in its north-west.

The Big Picture

The Macedon Ranges region is Australia's coolest wine area. Uniquely suited to the production of ultra premium sparkling wine, it also manages to produce table wines from Riesling, through Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, to Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The size of the wineries is small and is likely to remain so. It is hard to imagine any of the larger wine companies moving in and this, at the end of the day, is exactly how the vignerons of the area wish it to be.

Macedon Ranges Wine Region

Climate

This sprawling, hilly and windswept area extends from the Lancefield-Macedon district at its southern end to the Kyneton district to the north. It is what might be termed the sharp end of Australian cool climate viticulture. Site selection (altitude, protection from wind and spring frosts, and maximum sun interception from north and north-east facing slopes), the careful matching of site and grape variety, razor sharp canopy management and relatively low yields are all prerequisites for success. Even then success will not come every year; those few extra degrees of heat as well as extra hours of sunshine of the warmer Melbourne summers are needed to get the best results.

Soil

The majority of the soils are relatively skeletal mountain soils, most typically granitic sandy loams which further restrict yields.  However, there are patches of deep loams in valleys and on the lower slopes and occasional plains.  Relatively low yields are in fact a blessing in disguise, for in many years higher yields would not ripen past sparkling wine levels.

Wines

Chardonnay: Fine, elegant, lightly structured and potentially long lived wines, sometimes showing a quartzy minerally goût de terroir which can be expected from plantings on and around Mount Macedon. The warmer years give fuller flavoured styles, as do the warmer sites in the lower altitude and more northerly parts of the region, where greater complexity is achieved.

Riesling: While not statistically impressive, this grape produces some of the region’s best white wine, with fine, intense, lime juice aroma and flavour in a distinctly Germanic style that ages wonderfully well.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends: It may be surprising, but as the plantings attest, this is an important variety. Its greatest expression is as a blended wine with either Shiraz or Merlot, but it also thrives in warm years as a single varietal.

Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir is used to produce both sparkling and table wines, arguably with equal success. Here the logic of the match of climate and wine style is immediately obvious, with both old and new arrivals producing wines of unimpeachable varietal character. Fine and tending to be lighter bodied in style in the cooler vintages, yet more robust and "chunky" in those of warmer years, these are wines of exceptional merit in the overall scheme of Australian Pinots.

Shiraz: Given that this is a relatively late ripening variety, generally found in warm to hot regions where it is considered to do best, it may come as a surprise to learn that the north of the region is eminently suitable for Shiraz. After all, despite the difference in soils, Heathcote, immediately to the north of Macedon Ranges, was one of the first regions to introduce consumers to the striking pepper, spice, liquorice and black cherry aromas and flavours of genuinely cool climate Shiraz. This style has added a third dimension to Shiraz in Australia.

Sparkling Wine: The preponderance of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the vineyards confirms the suggestion made by climatic statistics that this is an extremely good region for the production of sparkling wine. There are a number of high profile boutique brands within the region and the leading makers have been prepared to use the full range of techniques to produce wines with great character and individuality. The intense flavours and high natural acidity of the base wines encourage the use of avant garde winemaking processes, and the winemakers have been quick to respond.

Vital Statistics

A Case In Point: John Ellis, Winemaker & Managing Director, Hanging Rock Winery, Macedon Ranges, Victoria

John Ellis’s passion to make great Australian sparkling wine in the style of Bollinger and Krug bought him to the cold climate Macedon Ranges, where he first planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1983. John was no stranger to breaking ground in the Australian wine industry. In the late '70s and early '80s he was the first to blend Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and produce a cool climate Chardonnay in commercial quantities.

"In 1983 there were few producers making sparkling wine from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the traditional method," he says. "I saw there was real potential to make a sparkling wine that would stand up against the world’s best. The Macedon Ranges was the perfect spot. Our vineyard, The Jim Jim, is at 700-metre elevation and south-facing, with a direct line to Antarctica."

To achieve a fuller, richer style John needed to aim for as much yeast flavour as possible. All the base wines for the Macedon products are barrel fermented, with full malolatic fermentation. Back vintages of these wines are blended and kept in barrels, not unlike the solera systems used to make Sherry. The wine is then tirage bottled after an average of four years in barrel.

"In 2006 we realised a long-term dream, Macedon LD," John says. "This wine spends an average of four years on yeast lees in barrel and 10 years on lees in the bottle. The result is an elegant, creamy and yet very complex sparkling wine. It’s a very special wine to us."

Ann and John Ellis

Summary

The Macedon Ranges, 45 minutes drive north of Melbourne is Australia's coolest wine region on the mainland, perfectly suited to the production of premium sparkling wine.  Boutique cellar doors are hidden amongst the lush Australian landscape and picturesque historic towns. 

Visit the Macedon Ranges to experience special events, music and great company where the person who pours you a taste is often the person who owns the place.

Acknowledgements

Victorian Wine Industry Association

Wineries, Cellar Doors & Vineyards

Ashworths Hill, Banyandah Estate, Bayneton Hills, Big Shed Wines, Bindi Wine Growers, Birthday Villa, Blackgum Estate, Braewattie, Butlers Lane, Burke & Wills, Candlebark Hill, Chanters Ridge, Cleveland Winery, Cobaw Ridge Winery, Cope-Williams, Cobaw Ridge, Colullah, Curly Flat Vineyard, Domaine Epis, Ellender Estate, Farrawells, Forty Acre, Fryerstown Road Vineyard, Gisborne Peak, Glen Erin Vineyard Retreat, Granite Hills Winery, Hanging Rock Winery, Hesket Estate, Kilchurn Wines, Kimray, Kyneton Ridge Estate, Lanes End Vineyard, Lancefield Winery, Macedon Ridge, Mawarra Winery, Metcalf Valley Vineyard, Midhill, Moonstruck Vineyard, Mons Rubra, Morganfield Vineyard, Mount Charlie Winery, Mt Gisborne Wines, Mt Macedon Winery, Mount William Winery, Paramoor Winery, Parkside @ Lancefield, Patrick's Vineyard, Pegeric, Portree Vineyard, Riddells Creek Winery, Rochford, Rock House Winery, Rowanston on the Track, Sailors Falls, Sandy Farm Vineyard and Winery, Snowdon Wines, Stonemont, Straws Lane Winery, Tarrangower Estate, Virgin Hills, Wallaston, Wili-wilia, Willow Run Vineyard and Zig Zag Wines.

If you would like to have your winery included in this list, please email awbc@awbc.com.au.