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  • Weather

    20° C Clear sky
  • Time

    17:50 PM
  • Wine average?

    92 Tb
  • Country Ranking?

    62
  • Region Ranking?

    7
  • Popularity ranking?

    240

History

The Farr estate is located in the Moorabool Valley between Geelong and Ballarat, 100km southwest of Melbourne. Grape growing in this region dates back more than 200 years, with Swiss settlers planting Victoria’s first vineyards here in the early 1800s. The rich volcanic soil and continental climate at our estate produces premium fruit with a flavour, bouquet and colour that is unique to our surrounding area.

 

Gary and Robyn Farr purchased the original property in 1994 and the second section in 1998—this latter had been untouched for almost 40 years and consisted of dense boxthorn and noxious weeds. The final piece of the puzzle, which links the two blocks of land, was purchased by Nick and Cassie Farr in 2011, making a total of 130 acres—of which 36 acres are under vine and the remainder is maintained as grazing and cropping for cattle and horses. With a mixture of different clones and rootstocks, the grape varieties grown here are viognier, chardonnay, pinot noir, gamay and shiraz.

 

Nick and Gary Farr stand side by side, but aren’t afraid to go head-to-head when their opinions differ. Each generation has developed a distinctive winemaking style based on his individual experience and taste, and their respective lines—By Farr by Gary, and Farr Rising by Nick—have received critical acclaim both in Australia and overseas.

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Vineyards

Our vineyards are based on ancient river deposits within the Moorabool Valley. Thousands of years later, we are reaping the rewards of these complex and mineral-rich soils, which lend their unique characteristics to our grapes.

 

There are six different soils spread across the Farr property, with the two main types being rich, friable red and black volcanic loam, and limestone, which dominates the loam in some areas. The other soils are quartz gravel through a red volcanic soil, ironstone (called buckshot) in grey sandy loam with a heavy clay base, sandstone base, and volcanic lava rock. The soil’s good drainage and low fertility are crucial in ensuring small yields of intensely flavoured fruit.

 

The soil structure and microclimate at our vineyard make it ideal for growing pinot noir and chardonnay, and our location rates among the world’s best for both varieties.

 

The microclimate of the Moorabool Valley is influenced by winds from the western plains and bracing sea breezes, which regulate the temperature on long, sunny days and cool the air overnight. This climate is key to producing naturally balanced, low-yield fruit that is rich in flavour.

 

The region’s environment is both cool and harsh for viticulture, due to the low rainfall and ever-prevailing winds that sweep across the barren western plains of Victoria. On average we receive 240mm of the 540mm annual rainfall in the growing season. The variation of temperatures between night and day helps us achieve complex and long-palate structures in our wines. Farming our land is not easy, but we believe the best wines are born from the most challenging environments.

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Inside information

The season leading into the 2013 harvest started well, with above average rainfall during winter setting us up for a good spring and budburst. The vines looked fantastic leading up to flowering, which was perhaps a week earlier than normal. This was most likely due to the very little rain we had from 1 October until 26 November, during which time we received only 12mm. The dryness saw large cracks opening up in the black clay soils, but thankfully the straw mulching once again prolonged any moisture influence on the growth and fruit set.

 

The dry period during spring set the scene for what was to follow. With patches of rain leading up to Christmas there was enough moisture and warmth during flowering and into véraison for the vines to produce a good and healthy crop level. The great thing about our vines gathering vine age, is that they acclimatise to the conditions of the season, and produce only the amount of fruit they can handle.

 

The final stages of the season were quite warm, but it was the extended dry conditions that dictated the flavour and elegance of the 2013 vintage, which seems similar to the 2005 vintage. The young wines are very expressive of fruit and flavour, which I enjoy because of the deliciousness and approachability. They speak of site differences, but in a very different way to the subtlety of the 2011 vintage. Vintage 2011 spoke of subtlety, while 2013 speaks of fruitfulness and richness.

The wines of 2013 will certainly be crowd-pleasers.

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People

  • Nick Farr

    The wines we make are not mainstream—they are expressions of our vineyard, our land and what we like to drink. That is what we promise to deliver.
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