The Vineyard

Quarry Hill is a boutique, family owned and run vineyard situated just outside Canberra and is part of the Canberra cool-climate region, with elevations ranging from 630m up to 655m. Established in 1999, it was named after a section of the property that provided rock for the construction of the Barton Highway. Rock is indeed a feature of the property, which has a diversity of geology including granite, quartz, limestone and shale.

Another distinctive feature is the terraces that have been cut into the steep slope of the hillside, the easterly aspect of these stepped, terraced rows provides excellent morning sun exposure, and by management of the vine canopy on the western side, the intense afternoon sun can be controlled.

The steepness of the vineyard has made it exceptionally frost-resistant, and the rocky soil ensures good drainage. Warm days and very cool nights provide slow ripening fruit, retaining good acids and aromatics.

The first plantings at Quarry Hill were of Pinot Noir, which were soon followed with Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. Approximately 4.5 hectares of grapes have been planted including a half hectare of Tempranillo and Albariño which was added in 2006.

The site is naturally low yielding and throughout the life of the vineyard, the emphasis has been on producing high quality grapes for delivery to some of the region’s leading winemakers, and for our own vintages.