From a sheltered, 1 hectare block of vines grown organically by Jack Nelligan. Dark grey & brown loams mixed with some quartz gravel.

This unique site provides an elegant but firm expression of Pinot noir. Handpicked fruit was fully destemmed & macerated for varying periods before maturing for 10-11 months in 500L & 300L barrels. The blended wine was further rested in tank for 9 months before being bottled via gravity.

Slow Lane is a small winery ran by Federica Marzetti & Dom Smith, based 15 minutes south of Mount Gambier, South Australia (Dom’s hometown).

Slow Lane was based in McLaren Vale for six years, where they were both making wine & working in different vineyards, but something was pulling them down here.

All of the signs were there: Australia’s two youngest volcanoes (Mount Gambier & Mount Schank) only 10 minutes apart, the influence of limestone, healthy rainfall, a very cool climate & incredible diurnal range.
Eventually we pulled the trigger. Federica, who’s been living in Australia since 2020 after leaving Italy, was somehow convinced to shift her life again to Mount Gambier to explore the grape growing & winemaking potential down here.