Our Story
Kerri Greens was born in 2013 as a little experiment, a source of expression. Lucas Blanck and Tom McCarthy identified the old Hickson vineyard in Balnarring as something of a project. There wasn’t a brand, just two vignerons with plenty of ideas and the enthusiasm to make some mistakes.
Nine years on, and Kerri Greens remains entrenched in the vines. Through a little intention and a good dose of luck we have garnered a stable of vineyards that far exceed Kerri Greens in age, if not in wisdom also. Silverwood (Balnarring), the heritage ‘Hickson’ site (Balnarring), and the homesite, The Duke (Red Hill South).
The vineyards are managed with a strict viticulture regime aimed at quality, with sustainable practices including no irrigation, pruning techniques promoting longevity and fruit intensity not yields, mowing undervine to avoid herbicide, canopy management aimed at exposure, inter-row cover crops for nutrition and soil structure, and spray regimes using organic principles.
Off the vine, the winemaking follows a predictably similar line, additions are kept to a minimum using wild yeasts unhindered by initial additions of sulphur allowing the unique biology of the vineyard and season to have its impact. There is no rush to bottle and where possible it takes place without fining or filtration.
Our Vineyards
The Duke
The home of our winery and cellar door, situated on Paringa Rd, Red Hill South.
Geoff and Sue Duke’s search for the perfect bit of dirt had them establish a vineyard in 1989 on Paringa Rd. On the steepest of slopes facing due North this vineyard is brilliantly positioned to capture the entirety of available sun – like a well positioned solar panel. Grown without irrigation the root system of this Pinot and Chardonnay vineyard penetrates deep into the rich volcanic soils of Red Hill. In the interest of discovery and to our great delight Geoff and Sue planted their vineyard to multiple clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Taking over the management and lease of the site in 2016 (along with our good friends from Site Wine) a few minor changes were made to bring the vineyard in line with our viticulture and winemaking goals. We now run a single arch cane in each direction allowing light and wind to penetrate the canopy. Grapes are produced using organic principles (not certified), no herbicide, no synthetics.
Now 29 years old the Duke Vineyard is consistently producing small, thick skinned berries with complex ripe flavour profiles full of natural acidity.
Aspect: Due North in the Paringa Valley, 8° slope – stupid steep
Soil: Red volcanic clay-loam, basalt parent material, iron rich
Elevation: 150m at highest point
Clones: Chardonnay I10V1 & I10V5. Pinot Noir MV6, Dijon 114, 115, G5V15 & D5V12
Obscurity: End vines planted to various natives – rather than roses – increasing biodiversity.
Silverwood
The largest of our three vineyards, Silverwood was established in 1998 to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Planted on a gentle but highly exposed north slope in Balnarring, the eastern most foothills of the Mornington Peninsula.
Situated in a localised rain shadow that sees many of the prevailing westerly rain systems from Port Phillip Bay spin off to Bass Straight. This warmer, drier part of the Peninsula is characterised by soils far poorer than its Red Hill neighbours. These conditions force the vines to work hard providing a unique intensity to the finished wines.
Kerri Greens took over managing the Silverwood vineyard in 2016, and we quickly set to work converting all vines to our preferred arch pruning method. The vineyard is also quickly being weaned from irrigation and systemic fungicides and herbicides.
The Balnarring sub region has consistently produced high quality fruit with pronounced power for various wineries including our close friends and neighbours Quealy Wines.
Aspect: Due North 2° slope – gentle
Soil: Grey clay-loam, nutrient poor
Clones: Pinot Noir MV6, Dijon 114, 115, 777. Chardonnay I10V1 & I10V5
Obscurity: Significant beehives onsite, a natural spring quenches this dryland site
Hickson
It all started with the Hickson Vineyard. The site consists of two acres of P58 clone Chardonnay planted by the Hickson family in 1982. One of a sprinkling of vineyards preluding the rise of the Mornington Peninsula, certainly a heritage site.
The vineyard became available to Lucas and Tom in 2013 who spent the next couple of seasons regenerating the site. This included a complete change of pruning and trellis from lyre to VSP and the implementation of an organic management program (uncertified).
The Hickson site is managed without herbicide, systemic fungicides or insecticides. Organic fertiliser and annual cover crops provide nutrition and soil structure. Irrigation has not been used on this vineyard for at least 10 years.
These old vines are low yielding, constantly producing chardonnay fruit of great intensity and poise. Just one wine, our single vineyard Hickson Chardonnay, is made from this small parcel.
Aspect: South, <1°slope
Soil: Grey clay-loam, nutrient poor
Clones: Chardonnay, P58
Obscurity: Surrounded on three sides by native forest, some old Clydesdales are the off-season lawn mowers.