Those who have followed Attwoods wines over the past decade have seen their star continue to rise. The wines, for the most part, have been produced from mature vineyards in Bannockburn, in the Geelong region, to much critical acclaim.

Attwoods can be found in some of Australia’s best restaurants; namely Attica and Brae, and there is a continued increase in overseas demand, based on word of mouth rather than marketing.

Troy and Jane Walsh are the owners of Attwoods, with Troy, an ex-Sommelier also the winemaker. Troy has spent several vintages in Burgundy and doesn’t look to recreate Burgundian wines in Australia, but has a bias to minimal intervention. He emphasises a pragmatic approach in both the vineyard and winery, only doing what the vintage conditions necessitate rather than following the textbook year in year out. His wines speak of this approach with wild yeast ferment, a generous proportion of new oak and bottling on-site without any fining or filtration.

The name ‘Attwoods’ refers to the road on which the Walsh’s family house and closely planted Ballarat vineyard has been established. The philosophy behind the label is to produce from a number of exceptional single vineyard sites, with the wines representing the location, from which the grapes were grown, rather than the winemaker.

Troy has always had his eye on producing wines from the Macedon Ranges, given its position as the coolest wine-growing region on mainland Australia. When the opportunity arose to take over the management of the vineyard and establish Attwoods at the cellar door at Glenlyon Estate, Troy jumped at the chance.

The vines were established circa 1996 with pinot noir and chardonnay the predominate varieties. In taking over the vineyard, there has been a significant amount of regenerative work to ensure the fruit quality in years to come, with a preference for organic viticulture. Troy is looking forward to further exploring the subtle nuances and potential of the site and the wines produced are sure to impress, based on the combination of winemaker and vineyard.

The Glenlyon Estate cellar door is a stone’s throw from Daylesford, beautifully appointed in its surroundings. Open on weekends and mid-week by appointment, it is a must-visit cellar door within the region.

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attwoodswines.com.au glenlyonestate.com

About the author

Patrick Eckel

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Patrick is a skilled wine appreciator and has spent a majority of his life pursuing his passion for wine. His site, Wine Reviewer, provides independent reviews, over 3,000 in fact, of the wines he discovers. It's fair to say he knows a thing or two about wine!