Lethbridge has produced a Nebbiolo from the Malakoff Vineyard in the Pyrenees near Landsborough for 10 consecutive years. This celebrated site—owned and operated by Cameron and Robert John—features a moderate slope first planted in 1997 at 300 metres with a well-sheltered northeast aspect. The soils are rich in red ferrous clay, with large amounts of ironstone and quartz littered throughout.

The farming doctrine at Malakoff mirrors that of Lethbridge, with sustainability and soil health as top priorities. Ray and Maree work closely with the Johns each year and are intimately involved in the decisions for their chosen blocks (they work with the same blocks and take 100% of the fruit) to ensure yields are kept low and the fruit is picked at optimal ripeness.

The 2019 release saw a long, cool fermentation on skins and extended maceration for 40 days (a total of 60 days on skins). The wine matured for 24 months in oak, the first year in puncheons and the second in foudre. The wine matured further in bottle for two years before release. By the way, the name, which translates to ‘birthday present’, dates back to 2013 when Maree sourced two tonnes of Nebbiolo from Robert John as a surprise for Ray’s birthday.

Named after daughter Allegra, this is Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson’s flagship Chardonnay. They source the fruit for the Allegra Chardonnay from the historic Rebenberg vineyard in Mount Duneed. Located 10 kilometres southwest of Geelong, the vineyard was initially planted in 1858 and replanted in 1968 by Ken and Joy Campbell. The Chardonnay vines are now almost 50 years old (planted in 1981, making them some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in Geelong). They are rooted in gravel and quartz soil and give extremely low yields of less than 12 hl/ha. These low yields and old vines go some way to explain how the Rebenberg vineyard always delivers “fruit of incredible density and acid”, according to Ray.

Fruit for the 2018 Allegra was picked by hand and pressed as whole bunches before barrel fermentation. The wine underwent full malolactic conversion and matured for 11 months in new oak, which Ray says allows “the oak tannins to frame the wine”. The wine then aged in bottle for a further three years before release. Lethbridge and Chardonnay are a match made in heaven, and here we have exhibit A.

The Lethbridge Block 4 Pinot Noir is grown on a patch of vines on the black clay, basalt and limestone soils in the northwest corner of the lofty, cool Lethbridge vineyard in the Moorabool Valley. The block was planted in 1998 predominantly to MV6, with a smattering of 115 in the mix. Though the cool, wet start to the 2018 season gave rise to some concern early on, come November, things had dried out and warmed up, with the rest of the season playing out as “one of the most pleasurable” Ray has witnessed in decades. “The vines were perfectly set up to produce great fruit.”

Perfectly ripe fruit was picked by hand, fermented spontaneously in open-top vessels with 50% whole bunches, and matured in barrels (50% of which were new). Perhaps due to his scientific background, Nadeson, whose wines never taste oaky, is something of a specialist when it come to the use of oak. He works closely with a single French cooper, and all Lethbridge barrels are custom-built to his specifications: light toast and a tight grain to facilitate micro-oxygenation and help polymerise the tannins. This is super classy, bottle aged Pinot: It’s bold and richly textured, laden with deep red fruits, exotic spice and well-integrated savoury notes from the oak.

Lethbridge Chardonnay brings together fruit from the Lethbridge home vineyard and three other cool, rocky sites in the Geelong and Henty GIs. The Hat Rock vineyard is located on the Bellarine Peninsula, midway between Drysdale and Portarlington. Named after a hat-shaped rocky outcrop on the shore of Corio Bay, a short distance from the vineyard, it was planted in 1996 and sits on a gently undulating slope that faces north. The soils are volcanic clay/loam overlying limestone, and the cooling effects of the bayside location moderate temperatures in the warmer months. The Suma vineyard, on the other side of the Bellarine Peninsula overlooking Swan Bay, sits on shallow red clay soils over limestone. The salty sea air and chalky soils bring a distinctive savoury/mineral quality to the blend. The Henty portion comes from Jack and Lois Doeven’s well-established, cool site in Drumborg, home to schist soils and low-yielding vines. Closing the circle is the Lethbridge home vineyard, which was planted in 1996 and is the Moorabool Valley’s coolest site. It’s a low-yielding site that sits at 270 metres with thin black clay topsoil on bluestone and honeycomb basalt above limestone bedrock. Yields across the sites average out at a meagre 25 hl/ha.

The parcels are kept separate but are vinified the same way: whole bunch pressed, wild fermented in 100% new oak, full malolactic conversion and maturation in 30% new wood for 11 months. All barrels are custom-built by John-Louis Bousset to Lethbridge specifications, and the Chardonnay vessels, in particular, are very lightly toasted. This is top shelf Chardonnay by any measure: vivid, succulent and vibrant in flavour, with super impressive depth, texture and length. The balance is masterful.

Lethbridge Chardonnay brings together fruit from the Lethbridge home vineyard and three other cool, rocky sites in the Geelong and Henty GIs. The Hat Rock vineyard is located on the Bellarine Peninsula, midway between Drysdale and Portarlington. Named after a hat-shaped rocky outcrop on the shore of Corio Bay, a short distance from the vineyard, it was planted in 1996 and sits on a gently undulating slope that faces north. The soils are volcanic clay/loam overlying limestone, and the cooling effects of the bayside location moderate temperatures in the warmer months. The Suma vineyard, on the other side of the Bellarine Peninsula overlooking Swan Bay, sits on shallow red clay soils over limestone. The salty sea air and chalky soils bring a distinctive savoury/mineral quality to the blend. The Henty portion comes from Jack and Lois Doeven’s well-established, cool site in Drumborg, home to schist soils and low-yielding vines. Closing the circle is the Lethbridge home vineyard, which was planted in 1996 and is the Moorabool Valley’s coolest site. It’s a low-yielding site that sits at 270 metres with thin black clay topsoil on bluestone and honeycomb basalt above limestone bedrock. Yields across the sites average out at a meagre 25 hl/ha.

The parcels are kept separate but are vinified the same way: whole bunch pressed, wild fermented in 100% new oak, full malolactic conversion and maturation in 30% new wood for 11 months. All barrels are custom-built by John-Louis Bousset to Lethbridge specifications, and the Chardonnay vessels, in particular, are very lightly toasted. This is top shelf Chardonnay by any measure: vivid, succulent and vibrant in flavour, with super impressive depth, texture and length. The balance is masterful. 

The Hugo George, named after Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson’s son, is not made every year. In fact, in the last twenty years, this wine has been made on just five occasions. The Brunello vines on the Lethbridge property can be fickle and challenging to manage. The bunches are big, as are the berries, and the vines are vigorous. For Ray, low yields are key to the Lethbridge signature, so in a given year, he will drop up to 75% of the fruit. Merlot (31%) and Cabernet Franc (19%) make up the balance of the blend.

The batches fermented separately before being blended and matured for 15 months in new wood. The wine then rested in bottle for a further three years before release. Sweet and savoury with a lovely sour tang, it’s a plump, generous and wonderfully balanced wine. Ray sums the wine up nicely: “A picture-perfect marriage of flavour, texture, and richness.”

Ray and Maree name their reserve wines after their four children: Indra, Allegra, Mietta and Hugo. The fruit for the Indra Shiraz comes from the low-yielding Block 3 on the Lethbridge home vineyard in the Moorabool Valley. The vines are rooted in distinctive black clay, basalt and limestone soils. Though the cool, wet start to the 2018 season gave rise to some concern early on, come November, things had dried out and warmed up. The rest of the season played out as “one of the most pleasurable” Ray has witnessed in decades.

The fruit was picked by hand and fermented spontaneously in open-top vessels with 80% whole bunches. After a long, cool ferment and extended time on skins, the wine matured in new wood for 15 months, followed by more than three years resting in bottle before release. Jeni Port’s note below captures the wine’s nature nicely, though we might have added a point or three to the score! It’s a fabulous wine.

Inspired by Pat Carmody’s Craiglee Shiraz, and Ray Nadeson’s favourite Rhône growers, this wine is Lethbridge’s take on the more restrained and elegant style of Shiraz (or Syrah!). The 2021 is a single-vineyard wine sourced entirely from Block 6 in the Lethbridge home vineyard in the Moorabool Valley. The coolest site in the region at 270 metres, it was planted in 1996 and has thin black clay topsoil on bluestone and honeycomb basalt above limestone bedrock. Block 6 was planted in 1998 to the St Peters Clone, which traces its Australian roots back to the Seppelt St Peters Shiraz vineyard in Great Western, initially planted in 1863.

The fruit was picked by hand and fermented spontaneously in small open-top vessels with 50% whole bunches. After a long soak on skins (30+ days), the wine matured in 30% new French oak for 11 months. So generous, silky, savoury and bright. Deliciously mid-weight, expect a radiantly structured Shiraz flecked with stony/rocky/mineral nuance. Top-notch Victorian Shiraz from a great vintage and another pearler from the Lethbridge stable.

The 2023 Riesling was almost entirely sourced from a mature vineyard in Mount Gambier. Located just outside the township, it’s a low-yielding (three tonnes per acre), limestone-rich site planted in the early 1990s. Small-batch fermentations are spontaneous. A small portion (10%) went through malolactic conversion, and the wine was bottled with 10.8 g/L residual sugar.

Residual sugar in Riesling can be a difficult thing to get right. Ray Nadeson is an avid proponent of the practice, leaving a lick of sugar in all his Riesling wines: “It’s essential for the texture of the wine”. He’s a dab hand at it too. The 2023 leaps from the glass with lime leaf and white florals, paving the way for fleshy, fruity citrus weight shot through with long, racy lines and lip-smacking, moreish texture. Lovely balance and lengthy drive. Bravo!

Lethbridge has been working with fruit from the Malakoff Vineyard in the Pyrenees near Landsborough for more than 10 years. This celebrated site—owned and operated by Cameron and Robert John—has long been the source of top-quality Shiraz from some of Victoria’s most celebrated producers. The moderately sloped site was first planted in 1997 and lies at 300 metres with a well-sheltered northeast aspect. The soils are rich in red ferrous clay with large amounts of ironstone and quartz littered throughout. The lion's share of the 23-hectare site is planted to three Shiraz clones (PT23, BVRC30 and Best’s Old Block), with the balance comprising Nebbiolo and a small portion of Viognier.

The farming doctrine at Malakoff mirrors that of Lethbridge, with sustainability and soil health as top priorities. Ray and Maree work closely with the Johns each year and are intimately involved in the decisions for their chosen blocks (they work with the same blocks and take 100% of the fruit) to ensure yields are kept low and the fruit is picked at optimal ripeness. Ray tells us that though each Syrah block displays its own character and clonal identity, there is a common inky/spicy note throughout that is the site’s unique marker.

The fruit was picked by hand, destemmed and fermented spontaneously in a 3000-litre cuve for 20 days before being pressed off and matured for 10 months in 1200-litre foudres. From a superb season in the Pyrenees (and much of the rest of the state), in Nadeson’s eyes, 2021 has yielded a Syrah of “impressive concentration and beautiful acidity”. “It may sound silly, but it’s always the yummiest wine I make.” Attractive and generous from the first sniff, this has all the broody fruit weight, savoury/mineral lines and fragrant spice you could hope for from a Victorian Shiraz, all wrapped up in a deliciously plump yet amply structured frame. In a word, delicious. 

The Lethbridge Pinot Noir marries fruit from the home vineyard in the Moorabool Valley and Hat Rock vineyard on the Bellarine Peninsula, midway between Drysdale and Portarlington. Named after a hat-shaped rocky outcrop on the shore of Corio Bay a short distance from the vineyard, Hat Rock vineyard was planted in 1996 and sits on a gently undulating slope that faces north. The soils are volcanic clay/loam over limestone, and the cooling effects of the bayside location moderate temperatures in the warmer months. The Lethbridge home vineyard was planted in 1996 and is the Moorabool Valley’s coolest site. It sits at 270 metres with black clay topsoil on bluestone and honeycomb basalt above limestone bedrock. Though the Lethbridge site is planted to two clones of Pinot Noir (MV6 and Abel), only MV6 is included for the wine, while Hat Rock contributes 114, 115 and a touch more MV6.

The fruit was picked by hand and fermented spontaneously in open-top vessels with a high proportion of whole bunches (approximately 50%). The ferment was handled gently over 20 days, with once-a-day punch-downs evolving to just a wetting of the cap as the days progressed. The wine matured for 11 months in 40% new wood. Expressive and transparent, the 2022 is layered with bright fruits, mineral lines and captivating purity. It strikes a lovely balance between savoury character and engaging fruit presence. 

The Lethbridge Pinot Noir marries fruit from the home vineyard in the Moorabool Valley and Hat Rock vineyard on the Bellarine Peninsula, midway between Drysdale and Portarlington. Named after a hat-shaped rocky outcrop on the shore of Corio Bay a short distance from the vineyard, Hat Rock vineyard was planted in 1996 and sits on a gently undulating slope that faces north. The soils are volcanic clay/loam over limestone, and the cooling effects of the bayside location moderate temperatures in the warmer months. The Lethbridge home vineyard was planted in 1996 and is the Moorabool Valley’s coolest site. It sits at 270 metres with black clay topsoil on bluestone and honeycomb basalt above limestone bedrock. Though the Lethbridge site is planted to two clones of Pinot Noir (MV6 and Abel), only MV6 is included for the wine, while Hat Rock contributes 114, 115 and a touch more MV6.

The fruit was picked by hand and fermented spontaneously in open-top vessels with a high proportion of whole bunches (approximately 50%). The ferment was handled gently over 20 days, with once-a-day punch-downs evolving to just a wetting of the cap as the days progressed. The wine matured for 11 months in 40% new wood. Expressive and transparent, the 2022 is layered with bright fruits, mineral lines and captivating purity. It strikes a lovely balance between savoury character and engaging fruit presence.

This wine is the sum of three vineyard vineyards, two of which are in Henty and the other in Geelong. Ray Nadeson is a big fan of the Henty region, valuing the cool nature of the fruit from his high-elevation, windy sites. “As a region, it’s very underappreciated,” he tells us. Jack and Lois Doeven’s well-established cool site in Drumborg (Henty) is home to schist soils and very low-yielding vines, whereas the Vaughn vineyard sits on clay and limestone soils. The Hillside Haven vineyard is a small, three-hectare site planted in 1990 in Geelong. Sitting at 230 metres on the slopes of Mount Anakie, the soils are granitic and loamy, and plantings are a hectare each of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In the quest for maximum flavour and texture, Ray picks his Pinot Gris fruit over a number of passes. Ferments take place in small batches in new wood, with some portions seeing up to 48 hours of skin contact. The wine then matures in foudre on fine lees for a few months before bottling. This is Pinot Gris as it should be: complex and detailed with a fleshy core, zippy and well-integrated acidity and plenty of savoury nuance at play. There’s a lot of wine in the glass!

Mietta Pinot Noir, named after one of Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson’s daughters, is Lethbridge’s flagship Pinot Noir, sourced entirely from the property’s original Pinot Noir block. Otherwise known as the ‘Top Block’ and located on the eastern part of the property, these were the first vines to go into the ground when the replanting began in the mid-‘90s. “It’s a block planted by PhDs”, quips Ray, referencing the assistance from friends and colleagues when they were starting out. The low-yielding block is planted entirely to the MV6 clone on black clay, basalt and limestone soils.

2019 was a year that required Ray to hold his nerve when it came to picking. After a quick, hot start prompted many to get all their fruit off in a hurry, Ray waited before the weather settled and cooled, allowing the fruit to reset to a long, slow and even ripening pattern. The fruit was picked by hand and fermented spontaneously in open-top vessels with 80% whole bunches. The wine matured for 11 months in new wood and three years in bottle before release. The notes below speak for themselves.

Ray Nadeson describes the Ménage à Noir Pinot Noir as “Lethbridge-lite”; we prefer to think of it as the opening act to this producer’s impressive suite of Pinot Noirs. It’s a blend of sites, but the lion’s share (75%) comes from Jack and Lois Doeven’s cool site in Drumborg (Henty). This low-yielding vineyard with well-established vines was planted in the 1980s and rooted in schist soils. The balance of the fruit comes from Geelong. The destemmed fruit ferments in a combination of 5,00-litre open vats and 3,000-litre wooden fermenters; the fruit in the vats gets punched down, while the fruit in the wooden fermenters is pumped over daily. The wine then matures in a mixture of old and new (approximately 10%) French oak of various sizes (225/300/2,500 litres).

Bright, fresh and vibrant on the nose, it’s equally vivid on the palate. The signature Lethbridge energy and raciness are balanced nicely by perfectly ripe berry fruits, earthy spice and a crunchy, sappy and lasting close. A real winner, and fine value.