Payten & Jones
Mates Troy Jones, Behn Payten & Ben’s dad, viticulturist Peter Payten have seen their tenth vintage under their own label and the future is bright indeed. The focus of this partnership is the production of single vineyard wines of distinct vineyard expression through meticulous viticulture & minimal intervention winemaking. Over the 2013 and 2014 vintages the gents have even released a number of wines made without sulphur.
Viticulturist Peter Payten is one of Australia’s pioneers of organic viticulture, having managed the country’s first certified organic vineyard (Botobolar, Mudgee) back in 1971. Now with 30 years of experience in Victoria, Payten is a highly sought-after viticultural consultant and manages all four of the sub- zonally distinct vineyards in the Yarra and a fifth site, a 40yo vineyard from Kilmore, which is between the Yarra Valley & Macedon, falling under the Victorian Southern Highlands GI.
The wines are all driven by bright fruit purity both in flavour & natural acid/ tannin structure. The use of whole bunch & oak varies across the range but alway remain in supporting roles - the goal remains to showcase the nature of each site. All fruit is handpicked. In the P&J range natural yeasts work in tandem with inoculated yeasts, there is no fining, filtration, acid adjustment or any other addition/subtraction besides sulphur at bottling. The Valley Vignerons wines are made identically but see some sulphur at the crush.
The Valley Vigneron series are fun, varietal expressions of site which are truly accessible wines for every day drinking. The Payten & Jones label holds a stable of discreet & delicate wines that quietly demand contemplation.