Sandro Mosele
Winemaker
"Is wine an art or a science? For me, it's both.
Understanding the science is critical but it's more than that. This is where the art comes in. It's about philosophy, plantings and place. Preserving the purity of the fruit. Celebrating difference. Respecting the land.
I have an Italian heritage, and in Italy, dishes are unique to every village. Wines are no different. And being able to craft high quality wines is every winemaker's dream.
As for my background, I finished my first degree – biological sciences with honours in genetics – in 1989 and thought, what next? A PhD didn't appeal. But fate soon intervened. Looking after a small vineyard unearthed a real passion for viticulture. It felt right. So I enrolled in oenology at Charles Sturt University. It was during that time I began making wine for Kooyong, and Port Phillip Estate some years on. "
The Port Phillip Estate vineyard was established in 1987 and acquired by the Gjergja family in 2000. Located at Red Hill, the ten hectare site is planted to pinot noir, chardonnay, shiraz and sauvignon blanc, all on northerly and easterly-facing slopes. The Kooyong vineyard and winery established in 1995, was acquired in 2004.
In contrast to the Port Phillip vineyard, Kooyong is located at Tuerong toward the northern end of the Mornington Peninsula. The majority of the forty hectare site is planted to pinot noir, with a moderate area of chardonnay and small parcels of pinot gris.
In 2007, the twelve hectare vineyard, Ballewindi at Balnarring was acquired. This vineyard is planted predominantly to pinot noir with a small amount of chardonnay.
All of our wines are made to strongly reflect their vineyard site attributes. Varieties such as chardonnay and particularly pinot noir amplify small differences in site into significant differences in the wine. The low fertility, sedimentary, light sandy clays of Kooyong support tannic, savoury wines while the deeper, redder and more friable volcanic soils of the cooler and higher Port Phillip Estate vineyard highlight attractive aromatics and lift. Echoing Burgundian tradition, the low yielding vines produce small berries with high flavour and colour intensity. Mornington Peninsula's cool climate and slow ripening suit pinot and chardonnay, although the maritime weather influence means that consistent yields can be challenging to realize.