Denton

John and Simon Denton’s Estate sits atop a 300-million-year-old granite plug on the border of Coldstream and Tarrawarra in the Yarra Valley, aptly named ‘View Hill’. Vine establishment was in three stages between 1997 and 2004, and included some close-planting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at the highest elevation of the vineyard. Wines have been produced from this complex terroir since 2010. Luke Lambert, who has established a reputation for producing pure, site-ascendant wines, has run the winery since 2015.

Luke has spoken to us of the electricity the granitic sand and granite boulders provide the fruit in this area; a sentiment obviously shared by other quality-obsessed producers—including Mac Forbes, William Downie and Barney Flanders—who helped shape the winemaking at this incredibly unique site in the early days.

After many exciting years of experimentation, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay now represent the winery’s premium offering, with several clones of each variety planted to best match each site. The Denton’s Shed series (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) demonstrate Lambert’s talent for delicate and perfumed wines that are immediately expressive and delicious. Spectrum—an experimental range—is currently comprised of a ‘Yellow’ (sous-voile Chardonnay), an ‘Orange’ (also under flor) and down the track, there will also be a Ribolla Gialla fermented on skins.