Patrick Sullivan's single vineyard Chardonnay from dry-grown Gippsland sites on deep volcanic soils, with Upper Yarra and Limestone Coast wines.
Patrick Sullivan grows Chardonnay in the Baw Baw Shire of West Gippsland, in the foothills of Mount Baw Baw. Bull Swamp, planted in 1982 on the edge of Warragul, and Ada River at Neerim South are dry-grown on deep volcanic soils over basalt.
In the Upper Yarra he makes single vineyard Chardonnay from Lusatia Park at Woori Yallock and the old vines of Willow Lake at Gladysdale, both on basalt-derived soils. The Limestone Coast wines draw on Mount Gambier, Coonawarra and Wrattonbully, where shallow volcanic topsoil sits over limestone and basalt.
Patrick studied viticulture rather than oenology and worked in Yarra Valley vineyards before coming home to Gippsland. He spent much of his childhood on the Limestone Coast, and 2013 was his first vintage under his own name.
His work is in the vineyard: pruning, leaf thinning and long hours among the vines. Bull Swamp and Ada River are farmed on biodynamic principles, tailored to each site and the Gippsland climate.