From their base in Geelong, around 80 kilometres southwest of Melbourne, Gary Farr and his son Nick make small quantities of single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that rank with Australia’s best. Gary has been making wine since the early 1980s in both Australia (at Bannockburn) and Burgundy (for 10 vintages at Domaine Dujac). Not only following in his father’s footsteps, Nick has carved out a reputation all his own and was named Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller Wine in 2020.

By Farr’s Chardonnays reflect the care they take in making balanced, elegant wines. The Geelong Chardonnay comes from the Sangreal site, first planted in 1994. The ‘GC’ Chardonnay is from the densely planted Côte Vineyard (7,000 vines per hectare), where diversity of aspect and soil types (including a mixture of loam, limestone and black volcanic soils) provide different styles to use as blending components. In the cellar, whole-bunch pressing, natural, cool fermentation and judicious use of oak provide elegance and complexity.

The 'GC' Chardonnay wine has a great calmness that stretches the length of the palate, surrounded with textured fruit and mineral elements. Gary and Nick have been working with the fruit from these vineyards for more than eight years, fine tuning the style of wine that these vineyards are producing, with striking results.