Jasper Hill
The red wines of Jasper Hill are highly regarded and much sought after. Over the past decade drought has caused some variation in style and weight, but as long as vintage conditions allow, these are wonderfully rich and full-flavoured wines, albeit with high levels of alcohol. The vineyards are dry-grown (hence drought problems) and are managed organically. JAMES HALLIDAY, The Australian Wine Companion
Our aim is to make great wine, with the preservation of nature’s flavours, complexities and balance in our wines by using minimal intervention in our vineyards and in the cellar – to allow the individual vineyard’s “terroir” or sense of place to express itself by ‘interfering’ as little as possible.
Our wines are grown, made and bottled entirely on the estate from our own organic unirrigated vineyards. We produce our own composts and have never used synthetic chemicals on either the vines or the soils, since our vineyards were planted in 1975.
Viticultural practices are simple: own rooted vines (ie. not grafted on to American rootstocks to confer Phylloxera resistance), no irrigation whatsoever, minimal tillage, natural inter-row mulching leading to broad bio-diversity, very low yields giving depth and intensity to our wines. Only hand pruning of the vines and hand harvesting of the fruit can allow us the human connection to our living soil.
Established by Ron and Elva Laughton, ever since the first vintage in 1982 Jasper Hill has been a small, family business. The 2015 vintage was our 34th. As the vineyards and their two daughters have grown over the years, both Emily and Georgia continue to work within the business. Emily has been passionately growing grapes and making wine alongside her father since 2001, whilst Georgia enjoys doing most of the administrative work. Ron and Elva live amongst the vines on Emily’s Paddock; Emily lives on Georgia’s Paddock vineyard with her husband Nick, daughter Ella and son Nate. Nick is also a highly valued member of the team, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Only time will tell, if the next young generation will continue the wine making tradition of their grandfather and mother. RON & EMILY LAUGHTON
