The Chapoutiers of the Rhone Valley certainly have a penchant for joint ventures in Australia. In addition to their current operations with Jasper Hill, Richard Hamilton and Domaine Wine Shippers’ Gary Steel, they’ve announced plans for a 300 acre development in the Pyrenees district of Victoria with Trevor Mast of Mount Langi Ghiran, 85 acres of which are already under development. The third party in a scheme which encompasses three continents is the American Terlato Wine Group. The venture has an option on 500 acres in the Grampians region, 250 of which can be planted. The vineyards will focus exclusively on shiraz and will be cultivated according to biodynamic principles and yields will be restricted to a mean two to three tons per acre. The venture has plans to release a shiraz from these vineyards priced around $US25 and two reserve labels priced between $US50-100 US retail. The first release, from a 2000 vintage wine, is due on the market in 2002. Trevor Mast, who recently expanded the winery at Mount Langi Ghiran, welcomes winemaking collaboration from the Chapoutiers and the winemakers from Rutherford Hill, a Napa Valley property owned by the Terlato Wine Group. The wines will be marketed in North and South America by the Terlato Wine Group’s Paterno Imports, in Europe by M. Chapoutier and in Australia and the Far East by Mount Langi Ghiran. The brand name is currently under development.
