Ben Cane, Owner/Winemaker at Duke’s Vineyard.
The Great Southern is an exciting Australian wine region that really is only just now coming into its own as a premium wine producer. There is so much potential in this area, starting with the fact that it is one of the last cool climate regions in this country. The wines from this region are ready to be shared with discerning consumers on the global stage and Duke’s wants to be at the forefront of that development.
On Vineyard Management: Vineyard management is all about bringing out the most unique elements of a site: to explore what is the authentic expression of the terroir. When Duke Ranson established his vineyard in 1999, he planted by hand and set to training the vines in ways that would maximise the fruit production once the vines had started to produce. Inspiration comes from the French tradition of being a vigneron, a winemaker who is deeply involved with every step of the process of growing and making wine, from soil to cellar to bottle to glass.
On Organic Sustainable Practices: With an eye to create a long-lived, healthy, and balanced vineyard, we at Duke’s feel that being sustainable and organic eventually evolving into biodynamic practices is the way forward. The plan is in the works to do the same as implementing sustainable practices is of high importance to the winemaking. To do so successfully requires following a prescription that honours and enhances the natural elements of the site including the earth, the water, the weather, and the seasons, as well as the needs of the vines. With careful viticulture and a lot of patience, the payoff will be seen in the wines that are made..
On Winemaking techniques: We believe that a premium brand is made by crafting wines that express the uniqueness and terroir of the vineyard site with finesse and balance, and that is achieved by blending old world techniques with new world innovation and technology. Our winemaking philosophy is simple: make beautiful wine with the minimal amount of input to preserve freshness and balance while building complexity and detail. Sanitation is paramount with simple yet effective equipment. Either hand-pick the fruit with optimal selection, or machine harvest it in the coolest part of the day using advanced equipment that can sort, then deliver the grapes to the winery while preserving the whole berries. The attention to detail and savvy decision-making during the winemaking process results in fresh, finely structured, and truly balanced wines that are exquisite to drink now but also have long cellaring potential.