HOCHKIRCH

Based in Victoria’s cool-climate Henty region, the Nagorcka family farms eight hectares of vineyard planted to Pinot Noir, Syrah, Riesling, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Together with fruit from the nearby Tarrington vineyard, they produce wines defined by purity, savouriness and finesse rather than power.

The 280-hectare Hochkirch property has been farmed by the family for generations, with sheep, cattle and grain crops forming part of a broader mixed-farming system. John Nagorcka planted the vineyard in 1990 and has steadily refined the viticulture over time, moving to denser plantings, lower yields and earlier picking to achieve greater balance and vitality in the wines.

Certified biodynamic since 2003, Hochkirch has long been a pioneer of regenerative farming in Australia. The vineyards are dry grown, farmed entirely by hand and planted on north-facing slopes of gravelly loam, deep clay and weathered basalt at 260 metres above sea level.

The nearby Tarrington site, acquired in 2007, carries an important story of its own. Before joining Hochkirch, the vineyard was planted and carefully farmed by John’s sister, Dianne Nagorcka, and Tamara Irish, whose early releases from the site attracted significant hype for their clarity and purity. Today, Tarrington contributes fruit to some of the estate’s most compelling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings.

Today, the vineyards are managed by John’s son, Christian, continuing the family’s multigenerational stewardship of the property.

In the cellar, the approach is deliberately restrained: natural yeast fermentations, minimal sulphur additions and maturation in older oak allow the character of the vineyards to remain front and centre. Harvested earlier for brightness and natural acidity, the wines are vibrant, textural and transparent to place.

Hochkirch wines speak clearly of Henty’s cool winds, basalt-rich soils and the careful farming behind them — authentic, elegant and quietly distinctive.