An anchoring mutli-vintage philosophy
We’re rewriting the rules of sparkling wine
A fusion of creativity and innovation — alchemy and science — our multi-vintage approach is an anchoring philosophy. A single-minded dedication to crafting wines of perennial consistency and complexity that truly transcend place, time, and technique.
What others do out of environmental necessity; we do with a sense of true purpose. Our method is inspired by Champagne but enhanced by Australian ingenuity. Not bound by traditions or confines, we approach reserve wine management deliberately.
Our intent is to liberate every stage of the wine’s creation and reveal the perfect balance.
How it Works
Clover Hill has built a reputation for producing reliable and consistently great sparkling wine through the Traditional Method but each vintage release can be impacted by seasonal fluctuations, style changes and inconsistencies which can affect the final flavour of the sparkling.
We have implemented a Multi-Vintage approach from a desire to deliver a consistently superior, sparkling style.
The sparkling consists of four reserve wines;
On yeast lees in barrel
Bottled combined with reserves in oak
A small oak solera
Large format oak (Foudre)
Holding the reserve on yeast lees enhances freshness and vibrancy with the benefit of reducing the use of preservatives (S02). The oaked components enhance and contribute to both the viscosity and texture of the final product.
Our house style is a creamy, chardonnay-driven aperitif style with a unique vibrance, freshness and complexity through base blend and component reserve aging.
This refined philosophy allows us to combine techniques such as ageing in small and large format oak and tank in the traditional way, whilst the base wine is held under pressure to enhance the aromatics.
The ageing process of our base wines, via a low-pressure tirage, preserves their quality and vibrancy finishing in the creation of our Reserver du vin Clover Hill. This reserve wine will comprise of a percentage of each new release.
Meet the Maker
Robert Heywood
Growing up in Victoria’s Western District, on Robert’s first trip abroad to the UK and Europe, he found a love of wine. Developing a thirst for wine knowledge saw Robert embark on studies in Viticulture and Wine Making when he returned home from his gap year abroad. Robert’s professional experience has taken him from the warm, continental climate of the…