Craiglee Vineyard — Attraction in Melbourne

I opened a 40 yo Hermitage for my 40th a couple of weeks ago, it was amazing. Craiglee make wines that can age, really age, and I count myself fortunate to have had my special day brightened with that drop.

Now for the story, it would have been 7-8 years ago when I was at the cellar door and saw the 1984 Hermitage on a shelf. When tic-taced for an hour or so as to whether or not the bottle was even for sale, but upon proving that it was in fact my birth year, and telling my sob story about having not had a birth year wine (which was true until a couple of weeks ago), I was finally entrusted with the responsibility to care for that sacred drop. Thank you so much for being willing to share such a special wine with a random visitor.

I now have to take all of the wines that I bought that day and move them back in my cellar a long way... 10 years was never going to...

Pat Carmody very kindly opened the cellar door so that we could visit on my son's 30th.

Craiglee is very close to Melbourne but you could be in the middle of the bush once you arrive. Set on Jackson's Creek and framed by beautiful old gumtrees, the cellar door is set in the original bluestone cellars.

I should have done my homework but Pat filled us in on the history of the vineyard which dates back to the mid 1800's before being re-established by Pat much more recently.

I have long been a fan of their Shiraz but we also tasted the Chardonnay which was very good and the Viognier, Cab Sav and Shiraz/Viognier blend. All very good but as expected the Shiraz and the Chardonnay were the standouts for our...

Old fashioned winery producing subtle, old world style Chardonnay and Shiraz. Cellar door opens just once a month (every first Sunday) but well worth putting in your diary to visit.

The vineyard itself was first established in the 1860s and is a throwback to when Sunbury was a regional centre and not just a northern suburb...