It’s on one such rocky hill that three men with Clare Valley dirt in their veins, established a vineyard that brings all their experience and local knowledge into a singular, crystal clear vision. Mocandunda was established 1998 by Hartley Heinrich, the property’s owner, Rodger Ackland, one of Clare’s most experienced viticulturalists and founder of Mt Horrocks Wines and Mick Faulkner, a leading South Australian agronomist. Rodger had long recognised the potential of the site and had been share farming the land with Hartley, with help from Mick, when all three men decide it was time to take this special place to the next level. And so Mocandunda Vineyards was born, a project with impeccable local pedigree and enormous potential.
The key focus of Mocandunda is unashamedly Riesling, and their wines are a celebration of this most noble of varietals, from an elegant bubbles, to their classic crisp, linear Clare dry styles, to an opulent and simply delicious cane cut dessert wine. Their small range of reds merits serious consideration with a complex yet juicy Merlot the undoubted hero. As caretakers of a special site, the partners behind Mocandunda Vineyards are committed to quality, sustainable viticulture and traditional winemaking techniques. The wines are responsive to site and season. They are born in the vineyard, not manipulated in a winery.
Mocandunda Vineyard is situated on the rocky ranges to the east of the township of Clare and is one of the highest vineyards in the Clare Valley. The vineyard sits at an elevation of approximately 450 metres above sea level which provides for a long slow ripening period, resulting in intense varietal fruit flavours.
Mocandunda wines are made under contract by leading Clare Valley winemakers who share this commitment and specialise in small batch winemaking. The quality of fruit and expertise in the vinification are evident in the finished wines, superbly balanced, characterised by their exceptional length and finish.
The vines are virtually dry grown. The soils are free-draining and hold enough water to only require the smallest quantities of supplementary irrigation during the hottest months. The property is planted to riesling, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot. Trellised using vertical shoot positioning to ensure the best possible canopy management for the site and ultimately ensuring greater intensity of fruit flavour. The grapes produced and not retained to make wine under the Mocandunda label are highly sought after and supplied to several leading wineries in the Clare Valley. Wines made from Mocandunda fruit under other labels have gone on to win Winestate Wine Of The Year and The Advertiser/Hyatt South Australian Wine Of Year.
