Toolangi

Toolangi Vineyard used to rely on a revolving door of superstar consultant winemakers, but under Kaspar Hermann, this Dixon's Creek estate has finally claimed its own undeniable identity. After eight years as assistant winemaker at Mount Mary, Kaspar took the reins in 2017 and recently stepped up as full custodian of the site, putting down permanent roots right alongside the vines.

First planted in 1995, the 11.2-hectare property sits on gentle, well-drained clay loam slopes right up against the Toolangi State Forest. Alongside veteran viticulturist John Evans, Kaspar brought in renowned French soil scientist Claude Bourguignon to overhaul the farming, shifting to under-vine cultivation and slashing inputs to bring the dirt back to life.

The cellar philosophy is strictly site-first and less-worked, steering away from heavy oak or aggressive extraction. Instead of flattening the range into generic regional blends, Kaspar embraced the personality of the vineyard's micro-parcels, like the rocky, high-elevation F-Block Chardonnay and the concentrated E-Block Pinot Noir.

Toolangi has officially shifted from a grower supplying top fruit to others into one of the most vital, focused producers in the Yarra Valley. If you haven't checked in on what Kaspar is doing here lately, you are missing out on some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir coming out of Victoria.