Oakridge was established in the Yarra Valley of Victoria in 1978. In early 2000 they flirted with corporate ownership, but now this high quality producer is back in private hands, including their winemaker and CEO David Bicknell.
Dave rails against the “Fruit salad” viticultural approach where any number of grape varieties are planted and produced from the one site. Rather he maximizes the Yarra Valley’s many micro climates and sources fruit from only the most suitable vineyards for each variety. For example, in this wine he sourced the fruit from three Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in warmer sites, closer to the valley floor. Hand picking, natural yeast ferments, use of large barrels – so as not to over power the wine with too much new oak- completes the picture and results in wines of complexity, texture and balance.