Mornington Peninsula
James Halliday Rating: 4 Stars

Chris and Gail Aylward established Kooyong in 1995. The Aylwards were introduced to the wine industry when purchasing a farm at Shoreham, on the Mornington Peninsula. The site contained three acres of Chardonnay vines.

At this time the Peninsula was rapidly expanding, establishing itself as a premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape-growing region of Australia. Both of these varieties were suited to this cool maritime climate. The Aylwards were inspired to develop a second site, specifically selected for its potential to produce top quality fruit. Wine released under the Kooyong label comes exclusively from this site.

In 1998, plans for a large and modern winery were devised and constructin began. Chris Aylward's experience as a property developer with the Grollo brothers helped erect an impressive winery for Kooyong's operations. State-of-the-art equipment was installed to give the winemaking team the best possible opportunity to process, ferment, and store top quality wine.

Kooyong lays claim to 52 acres of Pinot Noir and 27 acres of Chardonnay vines. Kooyong strives for complexity in its wines by exercising 8 different clones of Pinot and 10 clones of Chardonnay. Each clone has its own inherent characteristic. When blended together, they give the wine its many flavors and textures.

The Mornington Perninsula is 60 km southeast of Melbourne, Victoria. The Peninsula features an undulating ridge system, which receives considerable rainfall throughout the year. The soils vary from rich red clays, to lighter sandy loams depending on location. Kooyong's location was selected specifically to suit production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties. Many vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula struggle with the excessive canopy production due to the rich fertile soils. This is often translated in the wine as "green" or lacking in body.

The sandy base of Kooyong's terroir helps reduce this vigor. Even so, Kooyong uses a variety of canopy management techniques to ensure high quality, concentrated grape production. Some of these include shoot thinning and fruit dropping. Kooyong is situated on the Moorooduc flats of the Peninsula. The land is slightly graded facing a north direction. The vineyard has been planted with rows running from South to North, which ensures maximum sunlight exposure. The vines are planted using the vertical shoot position (VSP) trellising system. The vines have been spaced out to reduce shading and increase fruit exposure to sunlight.

Kooyong is well equipped with an advanced irrigation system. This allows water to be administered to each vine depending on the stress levels expressed by the vines. Kooyong's site receives less rainfall per annum than surrounding vineyards on the Mornington ridge system. The use of an irrigation network enables a high degree of control over the development of both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines.

Kooyong's winemaker, Sandro Moselle, gained experience while making wine at Rochford, Macedon Victoria and the Green Vineyards in the Yarra Valley with Serge Carlei. He holds a degree in Genetics and has also completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science).