ABOUT US

STONIER IS NOW BACK IN LOCAL FAMILY OWNERSHIP

Stonier is now back in local family ownership for the first time since the Stonier family sold the winery in 1999. Three local families; Drummond, McLeod & Thickins acquired the winery, vineyard, and brand in December 2022.

“Growing up on the Peninsula, I always looked at Stonier as the benchmark fine wine producer. Brian had a very clear ambition to put Mornington Peninsula fine wine on the global stage…and he achieved that before he sold out I the late 1990’s. In 1999 Decanter awarded the Stonier 1997 Reserve Pinot Noir. Best New World Red Wine of the Year. This award was followed by the 2001 International Wine Challenge in London where Stonier won the Trophy for Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine of Show for its 1999 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay. As Andrew Caillard MW wrote in his book The Essence of Dreams “this was a coming of age for Peninsula Wine”.

It is our ambition to continue on that tradition and cement Stonier as a leading and relevant Global fine wine brand. We have some of the oldest and best vineyards on the Peninsula, a pedigree for great wine, and the people with a combined experience of quality farming, great winemaking and building world class wine businesses.

We hope that you will continue to support us for what is really the next chapter in Stonier’s amazing pioneering history”.

Cheers - Aaron Drummond  

“When the 1999 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay won London’s International Wine Challenge in 2001 it felt like a coming of age for the region”

Andrew Caillard MW

OUR HISTORY

Brian Stonier founded Stonier in 1978 and in doing so, became one of the pioneer vignerons on the Mornington Peninsula.

Brian’s ambition was to put Mornington Peninsula fine wine on the world stage, and in the late 1990’s the world began to take notice. In 1999 Decanter awarded the Stonier 1997 Reserve Pinot Noir. Best New World Red Wine of the Year. This award was followed by the 2001 International Wine Challenge in London where Stonier won the Trophy for Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine of Show for its 1999 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay. 

Stonier’s focus on Single Vineyard Wines began to gain momentum at the turn of the new decade with the release of its 2000 KBS Vineyard Chardonnay. In 1991, Stonier’s new winery and cellar door were completed, designed by renowned Melbourne architect Daryl Jackson. The building was officially opened by then Governor of Victoria, Dr Davis McCaughey.

OUR PEOPLE

Aaron Drummond

CO-OWNER / CEO

Rebecca Drummond

CO-OWNER / CFO

Julian Grounds

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Tim Brown

VITICULTURIST

Duncan Buchanan

WINEMAKER

Paula Ercole

CELLAR DOOR & EVENTS MANAGER

Nicole Griggs

ADMINISTRATION

Selina Potter

CELLAR DOOR

Josh Martin

VINEYARD MANAGER

Sophie Flanagan

VINEYARD MANAGER

Andrea Walker

VINEYARD

Len Wakelin

MACHINERY OPERATOR

Our vineyards

OUR VINEYARDS

Stonier’s Mornington Peninsula vineyards are the foundation of our winemaking practice. Our wines showcase the premium quality and character of the fruit cultivated in our pristine cool maritime climate. The vineyards are guided to produce the best possible fruit from their given site within their natural constraints. Stonier’s vineyard portfolio boasts some of the region’s oldest vineyards, each one contributing nuances from within the different sub-regions of the peninsula.

2024 VINTAGE REPORT - Stonier Wines, Mornington Peninsula 

Harvest Commencement Date 27th February   

Harvest Completion 22nd March 

The season began in early August, with the first signs of budburst occurring on the Estate on the 4th of August. What began as a cool and average rainfall season evolved to a warmer and wetter than average growing season through the October period. The effect of this was such that canopy growth was strong and all aspects of the canopy management had to be vigilant to ensure we prevented any disease outbreaks.  

The flowering period completed in October and the weather did vary depending on timing at specific sites. On the Estate, Chardonnay flowers set well resulting in average to above average yields. Pinot however experienced some of the late, cool weather through the end of flowering and as a result, crops were down. This phenomenon was similar throughout the Peninsula, but more exaggerated in the higher elevation sites.  

After extremely damp Christmas and New Year period, the vineyards were in a period of rapid leaf and lateral growth. However, the switch flicked in mid-January to that of a prolonged stage of dryness. The result of this was near perfect conditions for going through veraison and beyond; ample soil moisture, good heat accumulation and no rain events.  

Picking began on the 27th of February with Chardonnay off the Estate and was completed on the 22nd with high elevation grower vineyards. All Estate Pinot was picked in 5 days post a heat spike over the weekend of the 9th of March.  

The phenomenon of having an extended cool, damp period through the growing season coupled with a dry and sunny February has resulted in amazing acid profiles in the Chardonnay and beautiful aromatics in the Pinot Noirs. The decision was made to be very selective with stem use in Pinot Noir, with only the blocks of Evie, Stonier Family and Windmill selected for whole bunch fermentation, in addition to our long-term grower, Hillcrest. These wines are already showing amazing poise and complexity. I have no doubt they are a first and fantastic step in the evolution of style off the Estate.  

For Chardonnay, we see so many batches displaying incredible tension, and post spring malo-lactic fermentation, I imagine they will have the ideal balance of savoury, mouthfeel and length. Evie, KBS and Young Yuille are initial standouts.  

Every season presents a unique set of challenges, and in the 2023/24 season, the El Nino that was forecasted didn’t arrived till late in the season. So spring and cool weather remained the defining challenge for us as farmers. With the focus on organic conversion, this meant that we increased our labour to meet that challenge. However, from this diligence, I already see wines that speak to the special nature of our southern location, old vines and red soils that I believe will continue to build into wines that are distinct from those that surround them.  

-Julian Grounds, Technical Director

 

×