2025 Halliday Wine Companion has awarded Fighting Gully Road the coveted five red-red winery star rating aka Top Five-Star rating, or those with the printed Companion: Where the winery same itself is printed in red; refers to a winery with a long track record of excellence, having held a five-star rating continuously for at least 10 years…the best of the best in Australia!
Fighting Gully Road’s Mark Walpole and his partner Carolyn De Poi found their elevated north-facing site south of Beechworth in 1995. The pair began planting grapes on the ‘Aquila Audax vineyard’ in 1997. The vineyard was firstly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, then later expanding with Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Shiraz, Petit Manseng and chardonnay. Jump forward to 2009, and they were fortunate to lease the oldest vineyard in Beechworth – the Smith Vineyard. This vineyard was planted by the Smith family in 1978, to chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mark describes the site as being of low disease pressure due to its exposed open nature and regular air movement.
Mark was originally inspired by the climate and varieties found in Bordeaux, which has many similarities to what is found in Beechworth; and the elevated vineyards of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany, Italy where shaley shallow soils produce grapes with concentrated colour and flavour. Mark has been working to adapt his vineyard to changes in climate including new varieties that ripen later and have better natural acidity; while new plantings are being established to accommodate new equipment allowing reduced dependency on non-organic inputs; and contract labour. Today, they have expanded with significant areas of Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Shiraz, chardonnay, Gros Manseng; and more recently Grenache and Verdicchio with now over 11.5 ha planted to vine.
We have recently purchased land which will become a new vineyard, near the township of Stanley. The ‘Europa Vineyard’ will be planted primarily to chardonnay, on red Dermosol soils, which are free-draining and perfect for white varieties on a south-east facing slope. Europa will be the highest vineyard owned by Fighting Gully Road, with an elevation of between 700-750m above sea level; and will become the site for our newly imported variety – Petit Arvine, which is found at home in the Aosta valley in north-west Italy and over the border in Switzerland.
Quick facts:
- Since the 2012 vintage Mark’s Fighting Gully Road Chardonnay (Smith Vineyard, or the ‘white’ label) have all been awarded 95 points (or greater)…Which is over a decade of award-winning (95+ is equal to a gold-medal) Chardonnay! The current vintages are the 2021 Smith Vineyard Chardonnay (95 points), and 2022 Fighting Gully Road Chardonnay (95 points).
- Also since 2012 Fighting Gully Road Shiraz / Syrah has also been awarded at least 95 points…Which is all seven vintages of Mark’s Shiraz/Syrah achieving gold medal recognition. 2019 being the current vintage Fighting Gully Road Syrah, awarded 95 points.
- Of the 101 Fighting Gully Road wine samples sent (since we first submitted samples), and reviewed by Halliday Wine Companion, 91 have been awarded 90+ points, with 34% (34 wines) awarded 95+ points (gold medals). This achievement highlights Mark’s dedication, consistency, and passion for excellence in and around the vineyard, and winery.
- Awarded 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Viticulturist of the Year. View the winning vignette here.
A truly outstanding achievement being awarded a five red-red star rating, recognition that we are producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity, and that we consistently do so – a huge pat on the back to our team.
Now for some Champagne – Cheers!
