James and Suzanne Halliday moved from Sydney to Melbourne in 1983 with the Yarra Valley firmly in their sights. James was working with law firm Clayton Utz at the time and used the relocation as an opportunity to scout out appropriate vineyard sites. He had already begun establishing himself as a renowned wine writer through the 70s, and his enthusiasm for Pinot Noir flourished following multiple trips to Burgundy. In 1985 a special home with promising land came on the market; vines were planted, a small amount of wine was pressed, and Coldstream Hills was born.

Less than an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD, the Yarra Valley is an expansive landscape of rolling hills dotted with cool-climate vineyards. While the entire region is renowned for its beauty, there is arguably no more stunning outlook than that of Coldstream Hills’ House Block and Amphitheatre vineyards. These sites were first sewn in 1985 and still provide some of the highest quality fruit in the region, as well as regularly featuring on the label courtesy of James Halliday’s photography.

YEAR ESTABLISHED

1985

REGIONS

Yarra Valley, Tasmania

CHIEF WINEMAKER

Andrew Fleming

VARIETIES

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sparkling.

Winemakers Andrew Fleming and Greg Jarratt first joined Coldstream Hills in 2001 and continue to craft wines of elegance and reverence in the style that James and Suzanne initially established. While Greg takes a back seat to Andrew for Coldstream Hills, and Andrew is led by Greg for St Huberts, the pair lean on each other immensely, with every wine being the better for it. Humble to their core, both Andrew and Greg dismiss notions that they are personally responsible for the outstanding quality of Coldstream Hills wines; they’ll quickly point you to the hard work undertaken in the vineyards by the viticulturist team.
“There’s little magic on our part; we just have to respect what the vineyard delivers.”