Description

The Kooyong vineyard and winery, established in 1996, was acquired by the Gjergja family in 2004. Kooyong is located in Tuerong, towards the northern end of the Mornington Peninsula. The majority of the forty-hectare site is planted to Pinot Noir, with a substantial area of Chardonnay and several small sections of Pinot Gris.

The soils of Kooyong are distinctive. The bedrock found at depth is sedimentary – an ancient weathered sandstone dating back to the Ordovician period 450 million years ago.  The surface soils are also sedimentary, laid down by a marine incursion during the Miocene epoch.   Although the soils are classed overall as duplex clay loam, different parts of the vineyard express differing percentages of sand, loam and clay.   These differences markedly influence the characteristics of the fruit in each vineyard block.

Haven Vineyard

Planted exclusively to Pinot Noir, the Haven block is the most sheltered of the vineyard blocks. It is a relatively level site surrounded by thick tree belts which protect it from strong winds. The soils are classed as a duplex loam over clay, have a relatively higher percentage of loam and a moderate amount of sandstone pebbles interspersed through the soil profile.

The lack of exposure to strong winds allows the vines to keep a rich green canopy until comparatively late in the ripening period and the resulting Haven Pinot Noir possesses fruit in the more purplish spectrum with a certain richness and lushness yet a firm underlying tannic structure. Regal and poised, Haven shows an excellent capacity for ageing.