The Angullong vineyards are located on the southern lower slopes of the Orange region at the foothills of Mt Canobolas, an ancient volcano. Angullong's typography is best described as dramatic. The country ranges from undulating to steep hills with spectacular limestone escarpments that radically descend to the fast flowing Belubula River.
Angullong Vineyard is one of the largest vineyards in the area with a total area of 220 hectares (550 acres) under vines. Angullong is situated near the locality of Panuara, about 35km south of Orange and 350km west of Sydney.
The soils are aged red/brown loamy top soils of volcanic origin grading to a sandier clay shale and sometimes limestone base. With good aeration and drainage characteristics these soils offer relatively low vigour; ideal for growing quality wine grapes as the vines will naturally crop at low yields.
The vines are supplemented with water during dry periods via an efficient computer controlled drip irrigation system. Water is sourced from the Belubula River.
Having this reliable water supply ensures that we can consistently grow premium quality fruit every year. Not only do we produce wines under our own Angullong brand, we also grow fruit for many other wineries outside of the Orange region. We work closely with these wineries to supply them with premium fruit to their specifications to ensure the success of their wines.
A careful hands-on approach to vineyard management ensures continuous production of quality fruit and wines. Our growing season starts with pruning of the vines in the winter months, after leaf fall. All vines are pruned by hand to ensure a correct crop load and vine balance. Vine canopy is manipulated during the growing season to ensure fruit is exposed to the appropriate amount of sunlight and ensure adequate airflow to minimize the incidence of disease. This is done by manually positioning the foliage wires on the trellis.
Our management practices, location and dry climate mean disease risk at Angullong is relatively low and therefore our need for fungicides is minimal. During the growing season the vines are assessed for crop yield; the fruit is strategically thinned if required to ensure the optimal ratio of fruit to leaf area is achieved, resulting in the best quality fruit possible.
The season finishes in late summer/early autumn with harvest. Harvest usually starts in early March with Sauvignon Blanc and finishes in late April with Cabernet Sauvignon. The majority of the fruit is harvested using state of the art mechanical harvesters however some parcels of whites (Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Viognier) are harvested by hand in the cool of the morning. This fruit is typically used for the Fossil Hill range and Reserve wines.
As fifth generation farmers operating as a family company we recognise the importance of sustainable agricultural practices. Our business and family are committed to ensuring the long term health and improvement of the land we work and the environment in which we live for the benefit of generations to come.