Description
At the tender age of just 19, Chris Davies single-handedly planted most of the 6.3 hectares of what was to become Windows Estate–carved out from his parent’s Yallingup farm in the north of Margaret River. Digging each pit, lodging every one of the 12,000 vines by hand: the self-confessed perfectionist maintains that tight vineyard quality control to this day—tending to each vine, including performing the laborious Poussard-method pruning, by hand himself for the entire property.
Sitting on a unique series of layered soils — resulting from two natural water springs on the property— comprised primarily of ancient laterite, red karri loam, clay and quartz atop a granite bedrock, Windows Estate stretches well beyond a conventional vineyard in almost everyway. The vineyard is own-rooted, dry-farmed, certified organic and was planted with clonal diversity in mind. Chardonnay, for example, has four clones across the estate’s three blocks: 3 Dijon clones, plus Margaret River’s iconic Gingin. Each variety planted has several clones in the ground, resulting in an array of nuanced expressions in the wines. This is a far-cry from the standard mono-clonal dominance seen across Chardonnay, Cabernet and Syrah within the region.
The measured practices in the vines continue through into the cellar. The entirety of production sees oak through fermentation & maturation; predominantly French, but also complimented incredibly well-suited Stockinger casks. Ferments are plunged by hand, ensuring gentle extraction, along a traditional hand operated basket press used.
The results are wines that speak firmly of their truly unique vineyard —a well-defined sense of place, that shows a set of measured, patient and quietly confident wines: very much like that of Chris and Jo themselves.
“Every once in a while, you encounter an extraordinary patch of land–one that varies greatly from the surrounding landscape, one that is impossibly unique in so many ways. This is one such place.” – Chris Davies
