OUR VINEYARD
Our vineyard is just north of Tingha (between Armidale & Inverell) on the spine of the Great Dividing Range in northern NSW. We are on the western edge of the New England Tablelands at an altitude of 900m above sea level. The vineyard is situated high above the valleys of the McIntyre and Gwydir Rivers on beautiful, deep, red volcanic soils called Krasnozems that are very free draining that allows grapes to develop a deep root system for their water intake.
Specialising in alternate varieties the vineyard is 10ha with larger blocks of Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Tannat, Petit Manseng and Shiraz. We also have boutique areas of Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Viognier, Touriga Nacionale, Tinta Cao and Barbera. The high altitude, cool climate and specific soil conditions produce grapes of super premium quality.
CLIMATE
While Topper’s Mountain is much closer to the equator at 29.5°S than most world viticulture, its altitude at 900m asl keeps maximum temperatures down and bestows cool nights and a strongly continental climate. Summer daily maximum temperatures are normally in the range of 26°C to 34°C with between five & eight days per year being between 35°C and 37°C – Topper’s has never recorded a 40°C day from records going back many decades. These cool summer maximum temperatures lend the wines an elegance & fruit definition more akin to wines grown a thousand kilometres or more further from the Equator.
At the other end of the scale, cool vintages are very cool! Our 2012 vintage had only three days over 30°C (with none above 32°C). Amazingly, none of these warm days were in summer; two were in October (Spring) and the third was in early April (Autumn)!
