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Choosing a site within a kilometre
of his original Yarra Valley vineyard, Graeme began
planting Miller's Dixons Creek vineyard in 1988. The
site, with Dixons Creek running through the property,
was chosen by Graeme for its excellent north and north
easterly aspects. The property lies at approx
37.32°south latitude, 109 metres above sea level at the
lowest point and 165 metres at the highest, and is a
generally hilly and undulating property with few flat
blocks.
Today it covers 58 hectares, with
30.5 hectares under vines. Varieties include Shiraz,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenérč, Pinot
Noir, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
and Pinot Gris. Sixty percent of the vineyard is under
red grape varieties and forty percent under white grape
varieties. Cane pruning with low bud numbers to produce
low yields (5-7.5 tonne/hectare), and careful trellising
on a VSP (vertical shoot positioning) system to maximise
canopy exposure, contribute to the fruit intensity
achieved in the wines. Vineyard practices reflect a
strong environmental focus throughout. The vineyard has
an integrated pest management system where sprays are
used conservatively to support natural predators.
Herbicide use is minimised by undervine weeding and
cultivation between rows, and prunings are mulched mid
row to return nutrients to the soil.
Miller's Dixons Creek vineyard is
located at the north of the Yarra Valley wine region,
which lies at the base of the Great Dividing Range. It
is in a valley formed by the Dixons Creek, a tributary
of the Yarra River. With the main Range (State Forest
and National Park) to the west and north, and the Paul’s
Range to the east, the mesoclimate of this unique area
is drier and slightly warmer than the wetter areas of
the upper Yarra Valley to the south east. Mean January
temperature is 19.4 degrees Celsius (11.7 min – 27.9
max), sunshine hours per day are 7.4 and heat degree
days 1300. The average annual rainfall is 720mm (28
inches) with 50% of rain falling in the growing season,
between October and March.
The soil is a grey duplex mud stone
soil overlaying clay and weathered rock. Top soil is of
a moderate depth and, with a conservative irrigation
regime throughout the vineyard and one dry land block,
there is little problem with vigour. With early, mid and
late varieties in the vineyard, harvest is well spread
across two months, beginning usually in late February
with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and is usually completed
by the end of April, with Petit Verdot as the last
variety. Approximately 40% the harvest yield is used for
Miller’s Dixons Creek Estate wines and the balance is
sold to other wineries in the Valley for sparkling and
still wine.
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