Dominique Portet

Dominique Portet was bred in the purple. He spent his early years at Chateau Lafite (where his father was rgisseur) and was one of the first Flying Winemakers, commuting to Clos du Val in the Napa Valley, where his brother was winemaker. He then spent over 20 years as managing director of Taltarni and Clover Hill. After retiring from Taltarni, he moved to the Yarra Valley, a region he had been closely observing since the mid-1980s. In 2001 he found the site he had long looked for and built his winery and cellar door, planting a quixotic mix of viognier, sauvignon blanc and merlot next to the winery. Son Ben is now executive winemaker, leaving Dominique with a roving role as de facto consultant and brand marketer. Ben (35) has a winemaking CV of awesome scope, covering all parts of France, South Africa, California and four vintages at Petaluma. JAMES HALLIDAY winecompanion.com.au