Oakridge

Nick Stock, The Good Wine Guide, 2012: WINERY OF THE YEAR
"An outstanding performance across all styles, varieties and price points... They quite simply do not make a bad wine."

Oakridge is once again family-owned and the talented David Bicknell is at the winemaking helm, steering them on a steady course towards great wine. Bicknell has been producing some seriously good wines at Oakridge for several years - accumulating in 8 years a staggering 17 trophies and 41 gold medals since he took over as winemaker in 2002.
Bicknell's winemaking philosophy rails against the "fruit salad" viticultural approach where any number of grape varieties are planted and produced from the one site. Rather, Bicknell maximises the Yarra Valley's many micro-climates and sources fruit only from the most suitable vineyards for each variety. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir therefore come from the cooler, higher sites, while Shiraz, Cabernet and Viognier are sourced from the warmer sites closer to the valley floor. This makes a lot of sense - the Yarra is a vast and far-from-homogenous wine region. Elevations range from 80 to 450m above sea level while soil type and climatic differences also vary significantly.

This "ideal site" approach, matched with meticulous viticulture and precise harvesting dates results in perfectly balanced fruit that requires no acidification. The fresh, elegant nature of the Oakridge wines is underpinned by their own natural acidity - a rarity in Australia that should inspire other winemakers across the country. Hand picking, natural yeast ferments, the use of large barrels - with a low percentage of new cases - minimal racking and filtration completes the picture and results in wines that display intense fruit characters, complexity, texture and balance.

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