The hand picked fruit is de-stemmed and crushed into an open fermenter. Yeast is added immediately, a neutral clean fermenter such as Bordeaux Red. The cap is plunged gently by hand 8 to 10 times per day and allowed to rest between midnight and six in the morning. At sugar dryness, the skins are pressed in a tank press: al pressing are included. The wine is then put to barrel. Malo-lactic fermentation takes place in oak, using bacteria from Wendouree. The barrels are racked twice a year and kept topped regularly. No fining or filtration is undertaken and the wine bottled when I feel like it is ready. Grown by Robert Hardy, my father, on the Upper Tintara vineyard first planted by Dr. AC Kelly in 1861, and then bought by my great-great grandfather in 1877. The Shiraz vines that grow this wine were planted in 1891 and have been producing ever since. The soils are dark brown sandy loam, over brown to red brown well-structured clay. These soils are underlain by the Tapley Hill formation, which is about 750 million years old. The vines are hand pruned and hand picked and are very shy bearers. The vines that grow this fruit were planted in 1891 and the vineyard is still tendered by my father, Robert G Hardy.