Winemakers: Norman and Owen Latta
Where: Korat Koort, Coghills Creek, Victoria, Australia
Size: 4,8 ha
Main Varieties: Pinot Noir, Morillon/Chardonnay & Syrah
Viticulture: Regenerative/permaculture, Quantum Farming biodynamic practices
Quick note: Permaculture worked since first planting in 1983!
We can’t speak about one without the other, in this case it is Latta and Eastern Peake!
Situated nearly a 2-hour-drive north-west from Melbourne in the Ballarat Highlands, the Eastern Peake farm was first established in the 1970s by Norman Latta and Dianne Pym. Permaculture worked from the beginning, it was only in the early 80s when the legendary winemaker Trevor Mast advertised asking for vineyard land, Diane and Norman decided to plant the first cuttings of Pinot Noir. In 1984 their son Owen was born, and their daughter Claire in 1986. More Pinot Noir was planted in 1989, and a rare clone from Best’s Vineyard called Morillon planted in 1991-1993. This total brought them to around 8 acres of vineyards (or 4,8 hectares) – within a very busy decade!
Over these 10 years they worked as vignerons and sold grapes to Trevor Mast, who was then at Mt Langi Ghiran, but had not yet made wine themselves, so after a gentle prompt again from Trevor, they constructed a winery in 1994, and had the first vintage of 1995 on the property. It was in 1999 that Owen, as the next generation only at age 15, had to join the vintage to lend Norman a hand after a severe accident. Starting so young didn’t curb his enthusiasm, instead it seemed to reinforce his drive to learn and test his skills as a winemaker.
Geographically, and even historically, this area of Ballarat Highlands has a long history with indigenous Australians, being a remarkably kind environment for habitation, even within the harshness of Australian weather conditions. The property sits on a high plateau of 430m on the south-western part of the Great Dividing Range. The ancient volcanic weathered basalt grey loam soils were conducive to mainly dry grown crops. Off to the West, the rocky granite outcrop view of Mount Bolton is borrowed for the Eastern Peake labels. During years of climate change induced water uncertainty, the farm’s water supply has been mainly fed from underground artesian water systems. Organic since the start, 2013 and onwards has seen the farm move faster towards biodynamics via Quantum Farming practices. As Owen states ‘winemaking is the relatively straightforward part - farming for the future is the true key to success’.
Winemaking thus is both classical, but also low-intervention which is the choice if good grapes are grown! Grapes are picked early in the day to preserve temperature, a signature of the winery is open-top concrete fermenters, which are used for nearly all skin contact or maceration early on. Owen uses stainless to effect, but works mainly with larger format oak barrels for the Eastern Peake label. For whites there is often whole-bunch pressing with long élevage on full lees, no racking, MLF spontaneously in barrel and often a small amount of sulphur towards the end of élevage. Reds are either destemmed or whole-bunch, into concrete fermenters, pump overs, into oak for MLF and élevage.
