VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING
Over forty years of nurturing grapevines and making wine has taught the Oatley family many lessons. Site selection is paramount, that ‘sense of place’, as where you choose to grow your grapes is vital to both style and quality.
The Oatley approach is to overlay this philosophy with an outstanding team of grape growers and wine makers, using the best possible equipment, to allow them every chance of producing a winner.
The task is clear: to craft wines that have varietal clarity, focus and which reflect their provenance – in a very modern fashion.
Sandy Oatley and Larry Cherubino share the Oatley winemaking philosophy.
WINES OF CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY
Director of Winemaking, acclaimed vigneron Larry Cherubino, achieves this via a myriad of vineyards across the length and breadth of Australia’s wine regions. His winemaking team is led from the Oatley’s winery at Mudgee, with further on-location experts and facilities in Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Yarra Valley.
Vineyards are tended as organically as possible and wines are made with minimal intervention, reflecting a dedication to sustainable grape growing and wine production practices.
VINEYARDS – A DIVERSE RANGE OF CLIMATIC REGIONS
Australia’s specialist grape growing families are the backbone of our industry. The Oatley family draw upon dozens of growers of excellence across a diverse range of climatic regions. Wine regions represented include Margaret River, Great Southern and Pemberton (Western Australia), McLaren Vale and Barossa (South Australia), Yarra Valley, Heathcote & Mornington Peninsula (Victoria), along with grapes grown on properties in Mudgee (NSW), dating back to 1858.
Western Australia plays an important role in our Robert Oatley wines — winemaker Larry Cherubino explains why.
Mudgee & Orange, Central Ranges, New South Wales
Our winemaking heart and home lies within the beautiful Central Ranges district just over the Blue Mountains, north-west of Sydney. Sites range from warm and sunny to super high altitude and chilly, with high quality examples of many varietals, from full-bodied Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet through to Traminer and Pinot Grigio.
ROBERT OATLEY VINEYARDS VINTAGE REPORT 2017
New South Wales
We enjoyed a very good vintage in the high altitude Central Ranges (Mudgee). Winter was very wet however summer was very warm and dry, with widespread heavy rain at the very end of harvest. It was a slightly early start to harvest and the white varieties came in at optimum ripeness. The red harvests were staggered, with excellent merlot and shiraz, and some cabernet sauvignon affected by the late rain. Overall we are very pleased with the chardonnays; pinot grigio and rosé wines are fine, delicate and delicious. Early parcels of shiraz are stunning, Rhone-like and with bright red fruits.