Mount Mary Wines at United Places:
An Interview with Winemaker Sam Middleton
Located in the Yarra Valley, Mount Mary is a 3rd generation-owned and operated winery producing wines that are highly regarded and sought after worldwide. We are proud to collaborate with Mount Mary who share like-minded values around exceptional quality, sustainability and outstanding care and attention to detail. We are thrilled to share some of the magic behind the label with this interview with Sam Middleton, Head Winemaker at Mount Mary.
Share with us a brief history of Mount Mary
“The winery was started by my grandparents, Marli and John Middleton in the early 1970’s. John Middleton was a GP in the local Lilydale area and became obsessed with wine in his mid 50’s. He loved the wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux and in the 1960’s wondered why there were not more winemakers trying to emulate this style of wine in Australia. He wanted to make wines that were elegant, restrained, food friendly and would age gracefully in the cellar. He believed he could produce wines from fruit grown in the Yarra Valley that would comfortably sit alongside the great wines of the world.”
What inspired you to become a boutique winemaker, and how did your journey in the industry begin?
“My family has over 50 years of experience growing grapes and making wine in the Yarra Valley and it has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I think initially I was attracted to the farming/agricultural side of the industry and developed a love of wine through my early-mid 20’s. The opportunity to join the family business and play a small part in our journey was a huge inspiration to me wanting to work in this industry.”
What is the philosophy behind your winemaking process? What sets your approach apart from larger-scale wineries?
“We are extremely focused on viticulture and growing the best possible fruit we can each year. We have a deep respect for our site and soils, and we want to preserve and look after the land as best we can. The way we farm and grow grapes is extremely important to us. In the winery we implement fastidious attention to detail – at Mount Mary we are in control of every single step of the process from growing the grapes, to making the wine and putting it into bottle.”
Can you describe the vineyards where your grapes are grown? Do any aspects of the territory contribute to the distinctiveness of your wines?
“Our vineyard is located on the Western side of the Yarra Valley in the town of Coldstream. Our soils are sandy clay loams that have formed in-situ from degenerative sandstone, siltstone and mudstone and are believed to be over 400 million years old. They are naturally low in nutrients, helping to alleviate excessive vine vigour and have good water holding capacity which allows us to run our vineyards without irrigation. We have gentle north and south facing aspects and we choose to plant our later season varieties (Bordeaux’s) on the warmer north-facing slopes and our early season varieties (Pinot and Chardonnay) on the cooler, less sun exposed south-facing slopes. During the growing season we experience quite warm days and cool nights which help our grapes to arrive at full ripeness levels while still preserving plenty of natural acid.”
Could you tell us about a signature wine from your collection? What makes it stand out and resonate with wine enthusiasts?
“Our flagship wine is our red Bordeaux blend known as the Quintet. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. We think these varieties are very well suited to our site and believe this wine can stand alongside the best examples from around the world in most vintages. This is the wine that to us best reflects our site and season from vintage to vintage. It is a wine that has developed a very high level of consistency in style and quality over the past 50 years and has a long history of ageing gracefully in the cellar for 30+ years.”
Can you describe the vineyards where your grapes are grown? Do any aspects of the territory contribute to the distinctiveness of your wines?
“Our vineyard is located on the Western side of the Yarra Valley in the town of Coldstream. Our soils are sandy clay loams that have formed in-situ from degenerative sandstone, siltstone and mudstone and are believed to be over 400 million years old. They are naturally low in nutrients, helping to alleviate excessive vine vigour and have good water holding capacity which allows us to run our vineyards without irrigation. We have gentle north and south facing aspects and we choose to plant our later season varieties (Bordeaux’s) on the warmer north-facing slopes and our early season varieties (Pinot and Chardonnay) on the cooler, less sun exposed south-facing slopes. During the growing season we experience quite warm days and cool nights which help our grapes to arrive at full ripeness levels while still preserving plenty of natural acid.”
Are there any traditional or innovative winemaking techniques that you employ to ensure the high quality of your wines?
“First and foremost, high quality wine starts in the vineyard. This is where 99% of our efforts and attention are placed. We then employ state-of-the-art winemaking equipment to ensure we show respect for the fruit we have grown and allow it to express the Mount Mary terroir as vibrantly as possible. We are constantly striving to improve in every aspect of our business, however, we truly believe attention to detail, determination and hard work are far more important than any innovative winemaking techniques.”
How do you strike a balance between preserving the unique identity of your wines and adapting to evolving consumer tastes and preferences?
“We make wines our way that reflects site and season. We have never paid too much attention to winemaking fads and trends, with my grandfather firmly believing that was a recipe for failure. He was a staunch believer that winemakers should be passionate about the style of wine they are trying to make, and they should follow this with unwavering focus and attention. Moreover, he always chose to make wines that suited his palate. We aim to produce the absolute best possible examples of our wines each and every year, without compromise.”
Are there any upcoming releases or exciting projects in the works that our guests can look forward to?
“Every October we hold our annual release. This year we are releasing wines from the 2021 vintage which we believe is one of the best vintages we have witnessed of the last 3 decades. All 4 of our estate wines are brilliant examples of what we strive to achieve in our grape-growing and winemaking at Mount Mary, that being fruit purity, elegance and finesse.”
“We have another label called Marli Russell by Mount Mary. This project started for us in 2008 and it has seen us plant 7 southern Rhone varieties in our vineyard. It was a response to climate change and most importantly the changes we have witnessed in our vineyard over the past 50 years. We wanted to plant varieties that were well suited to a warming, drying climate and start to develop experience with how they grow on our site and what sort of wines they have the potential to produce now and into the future.”
As a boutique winemaker, what advice would you give to our guests who are eager to enhance their wine tasting experiences?
“Taste with as many people as you can who know more than you do about wine. Ask lots of questions and never let wine experiences intimidate you. Wine is about fun and enjoyment and the best way to learn is from tasting wine with other people.”
What excites you about the partnership between United Places and Mount Mary?
“We feel there is a distinct synergy between Mount Mary and United Places. Despite the obvious differences, I think we share many core philosophies at the heart of both our businesses and operations. These shared philosophies have undoubtedly contributed greatly to our successful partnership. We are both 100% quality driven and dedicate ourselves to outstanding customer service and experiences. Importantly, we remain ambitious about future possibilities!”