Lightfoot & Sons

Established in 1992 the Myrtle Point Vineyard in East Gippsland serves as Rob and Tom Lightfoot’s opportunity to express a truly unique terroir in an

expansive and underrated sub region of Australia’s largest GI. Together with Alastair Butt the Lightfoot brothers are crafting wines which emphasise the expression of their vineyard as a whole and also its lesser micro climates individually.

The Lightfoot and Sons Myrtle Point Vineyard came to existence in 1995 after Rob and Tom’s parents bought the property and were convinced of the sites absolute ability to grow high quality wine grapes. The site is unique as it exhibits an interesting soil structure of Terra Rossa over Limestone set on a terrace about 300 feet above the East Gippsland table land between the Great Dividing Range and Bass Strait. The soil structure is similar to that of Coonawarra but is however unique within Gipps- land and this coupled with the cooler climate offers a propensity for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of great character to be culti- vated with relatively little pressure of disease or heat. Originally the vineyard was planted as part of a joint venture between the Lightfoots and two local viticulture enthusiasts, none of whom had great experience. Fortuitously they planted Dijon Clone 96 Chardonnay, the MV6 clone of Pinot Noir and an unknown clone of Shiraz sourced from Coonawarra all of which pros- pered in the conditions.

Enter Tom and Rob.

During the decade leading up to their return to the family business, Rob and Tom had both been establishing their under- standing of wine and the wine industry. Each treading a different path that would offer an important skill set in the reinvigora- tion of Lightfoot and Sons Wines. Rob had taken the path of Sales and Marketing working with one of Australia’s most success- ful family owned wineries while Rob found himself working as a viticulturist with Chehalem, a legendary producer of terroir focused Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. With the help of Alastair Butt, formerly Seville Estate and Brokenwood the pair set about redefining the aspirations of the business and pushing to fully understand the potential of each part of the vineyard.

Now fully established in their newly built winery the trio are vinifying all blocks separately and identifying sub sections of the vineyard that behave differently vintage to vintage. This has resulted better application of techniques such as carbonic macer- ation and whole bunch, introduction of broader cooper selection to pair with shifts in the fruit character and finally the creation of three single block wines which are representations of the best parcels within Myrtle Point.

Lightfoot and Sons are a shining light in the vast GI that is Gippsland. Their dedication to their vineyard and each other has resulted in wines which are true representations of a unique vineyard and family style.