Mount Burrumboot Estate

To quote: ‘Mount Burrumboot Estate was born in 1999, when Andrew and Cathy Branson planted vines on the Home Block of the Branson family farm, Donore, on the slopes of Mt Burrumboot, on the Mt Camel Range, above Colbinabbin. Originally the vineyard was just another diversification of an already diverse farming enterprise. However, the wine bug soon bit, and a winery was established. The first wine was contract-made in 2001 - however, '02 saw the first wine made by Cathy in the machinery shed, surrounded by headers and tractors. Very primitive, and the appearance of the new 50-tonne winery in '02 was greeted with great enthusiasm!' The original plantings of a little over 11ha of shiraz and merlot have since been expanded with lesser amounts of petit verdot, sangiovese, tempranillo, gamay, marsanne and viognier. -JAMES HALLIDAY