As with training horses knowing what you have underneath you is very important. The land with which the vineyard stands is hard and rocky with soils of "poor" structure. which is perfect for growing wine grapes of premium quality. Grape vines are highly vigorous plants that can grow anywhere. As grapes have been grown for thousands of years the more important food crops where planted in the safest nutrient rich soils. Through planting vines on the lesser terain it was found to produce grapes of superior flavours and colours.

 

These soils naturally minimise vigor and trick the vine into concentrating on rippening fruit rather than growing lush and bushy canes. Essentually a vines job is to attract birds to its ripe fruit to propergate.With this in mind, the viticulture practices that we use are to stick true to what we have underneath and to work with it. 

 

By not pushing the vines into producing higher tonnages than it naturally wants to produce Running Horse Wines have intense colour and flavors but unfortunatly very few cases are produced. Generally the shiraz produces 0.5 tonnes per acre and the semillon and verdelho around 1 tonne to the acre. And some vintages that arn't going to make age worthy wines are not picked.

 

(WHY) CELLAR AGED WINES

 

I don't know many people that are putting down wines correctly. By growing low yielding and disease free fruit cellaring is not only possible but beneficial. Approaching RH wines young are a still very enjoyable experience. But as age and maturity take over it adds subtle dimensions that are great for enjoying wines with food or by itself.