Denton

Denton View Hill is a truly unique vineyard in the heart of the Yarra Valley on the border of Coldstream and Tarrawarra. Its conical shape—with slopes that rise to 150 metres and cover all aspects—facilitates a lengthy growing season and means a range of varieties and clones can succeed here. The first vines were planted in 1997, and today, the 60-hectare estate is home to 32 hectares of plantings, including a couple of close-planted blocks of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Alongside those classic Yarra varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon and significant plantings of eight clones of Nebbiolo—a speciality of this Estate.

The soils are key to understanding the magic of this site. Denton sits atop a 300-million-year-old granite plug, and as a result, its soils are granite-rich with rocky sands that lie above hulking boulders. The ancient evidence is everywhere among the vines, with boulder tips cresting the surface of the soil wherever you turn. This special terroir was formed millions of years ago by an active volcano, and the prevalence of granite is critical to the site’s expression—a huge contributing factor to the singular character and quality of its wines.

Scott Bishop and his wife Suz live on-site with their three children and two dogs and are fully committed to building the next exciting chapter at Denton Wines. Ably assisting them are the vini-viti dream team of Kirilly Gordon and Julian Parrott. Winemaker Gordon brings vast experience from Victoria, France and Italy, including stints at Bindi and cult producer Vie di Romans, while Parrott cut his viticultural teeth with a couple of notable Yarra players.

Recent innovation and investment in the vineyard have focused on enriching and reinvigorating soil health using organic management, under-vine cultivation and a move towards zero herbicide use. The fruit is reaping the rewards under Parrott’s watchful eye. Then, with Gordon’s intuition and skill across a swathe of varieties, the Denton wines have never looked so good.

The Estate range represents the pinnacle of production and includes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo. The Shed range—from Estate fruit only—comprises delicate, perfumed wines that are immediately expressive, gratifying and representative of unbeatable value for money.